The 14th Ark
by Rhiannon5
Summary: Continuing on Hope is the Future Paradox: When Snow crashes in and disrupts all their plans of action Noel finds himself tasked with protecting Hope as the other builds the new Cocoon. When that doesn't go according to plan Hope decides that the Arks are the key way to stop Caius.
1. Prologue

All right, I will warn you now... This is going to be long because I fail. It also sadly won't be posted as fast as With Me since I have to go back to work... But I hope you enjoy it just as much!

* * *

Hope was standing at the head of the control room like usual as he glared at the screen in front of him, looking over the new plans for the Cocoon project and deciding if things were going well or not. His sub plan, which everyone seemed very accepting of gave him heart to continue his work. As did his slightly secret co-workers. Serah and Noel, two time travelers.

One a girl who he'd sought to save as one of many over 400 years ago and the other, a mysterious boy from the future. Who's memory they were unfortunately destroying as they did their work. It was odd he thought as he stared at the read outs of the finishing of his projects barebone's structure. It was something that dwelled on his mind and it was uncomfortable. If things continued the way they were and that was the plan.

Changing the timeline to what it should be should kill Serah if they change it... Wrong? Right? He wasn't sure what it was that she was seeing since she didn't tell anyone not even Noel. And although he hadn't shared his thoughts with anyone he was sure that it would kill the other young traveler as well. He hadn't said anything, but it was troublesome that Noel's memories were being erased, not changed. The young man had confided in him such information and it drew parallels to Hope's tenure as a l'cie.

When he and the other 5 had been tasked with the decision of what to do. It hadn't been an easy to make a choice. But it was assumed, and the assumption was rather sad, that any choice they made... They wouldn't really bear the consequences of. The only goal at the time had been to not turn into cieth. The crystal sleep was their goal, but that was only because Fang and Vanille had proven that you could wake up.

But they had woken up 500 years later. The only one to wake up sooner was Cid Raines and he had been merely a tool of Barthandulus to be used again and again. It was pretty much assumed that Anima would have no use of them again. They had most likely killed the Fal'cie in the battle that turned Lake Bresha into crystal.

Hope signed and was about to dive deeper into his thoughts when the room exploded into motion. As he turned to see the cause of such actions. He was not surprised to see Snow Villiers at the heart of it. Several members of the Guardian Corps were behind him. And idly Hope regretted giving him the ability to be recognized by the Guardian Corps as one of the time traveling leaders. Like he was with the Academy, like Lighting was.

"Arrest her!" He called in his impressive hero voice. Making Hope feel like he was trapped in a bad movie. Snow loved his theatrics while Hope had mostly enjoyed his quiet background position.

"Snow, what is the meaning of this? You never change do you?" He asked as he marched through the scattering scared scientists. Alyssa being appended by the squad. He squared his shoulders as he always did as he prepared to go toe to toe with is old friend. Certain parts of Snow's personality would never stop grating his nerves. "I hope you have a good reason for bursting in here, and arresting my assistant without greeting an old friend first."

"Well, I knew if I came here without something good you would have tossed me out on my ass kid." Snow replied as he clapped the Director on the shoulder. Serah and Noel, he noticed were sitting in the background, neither quite sure of how Hope would react to all this. Or really even what was going on. Even Serah, use to and amused by Snow's antics was unsure of where she stood in all this.

"And that is?" Hope asked as he lifted a hand to command the guard to release Alyssa.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. She's working with Caius." Snow cautioned and Hope stopped dead, what little color existed in his pale countenance drained. "The gate on the end of town is a trap set up by him to way lay our duo over there. Through my travels and Sis' guidance I learned that that one was being used to get them out of the way."

"I see." Hope looked at Alyssa carefully and then back at Serah and Noel. Noel's hands had clenched into fists. He thought no one knew, but it was easy to tell that Caius meant a lot to him. And this betrayal was probably deeper then anything else, to look for such coward's way to remove him. He turned to Alyssa again and knelt down to look at her. "Do you want to explain yourself?"

"I was there." She growled low and angry, he was quite taken aback by her tone. He had never heard such a sound from his companion. "I was there when it all began. I wanted to hate you so much. You were the reason I died. L'cie scum."

Hope pulled back from her as if burned. Although everyone knew about his history, it was something that still stung. Such a slur was meaningless now. 400AF was a long way from the ideas of Cocoon under Fal'cie rule. He was about to dismiss her when she spoke again.

"But then I got to know you. To know the truth about the Fal'cie. I came to believe in you. And you just decided that it's okay to let us all be a sacrifice? To die when we could live!" She shouted.

"If you're really going to believe the lies of the guy who's causing the paradoxes and trying to destroy the world... Then I'm not sure we should believe anything you say." Snow growled and waved at the Guardian Corps to take her away.

"Wait!" Serah stated and she approached Alyssa even as the girl glared at her with the angriest look she's seen in ages. "You died didn't you? In The Purge."

Alyssa growled and tried to launch herself at the girl. Startling her. The Corps strengthened the blond's restraints and pulled her away to take her to the detention cells. The room state quiet for a while and then Hope straightened up.

"Clear the room." He ordered carefully looking back at the other scientists. No one spoke as the begin to file out leaving their Director with the three time travelers. Once the room was empty, Hope deflated and leaned against a wall. "So what now?" He asked quietly.

"Right now kid, you continue this great project of yours... Can't believe you grew up so smart." Snow stated as he looked over at the hologram of the new cocoon. "But ya gotta be careful. Alyssa's not the only danger. Light told me that she's seen an assassination attempt on your life in about 3 days." Snow scrubbed a hand through his hair. "I had hoped you wouldn't have been pulled into all this crap."

"It's all right Snow. I don't think I could have stayed out if I wanted to." Hope rolled his shoulders and looked at the other two. "What about you two?"

"Well, that was supposed to be our lead so I don't know what now." Noel admitted quietly. "If the gate across town is a trap then we probably shouldn't open it... But if we don't that's a paradox unsolved."

"The paradoxes don't really need to be solved though." Snow commented as he leaned against the wall. "At least that's the way Lightning explained it. She said there are two fixed points in time... The fall of Cocoon and the 2nd act when the pillar finally gives out."

"So then what? The pillar will fall in 500AF. And then what happens?" Serah asked as she stared at her fiancee. "Will Light come back? The paradoxes are important."

"Well, that's the thing." Snow scratched his head and looked at them a little sadly. "Light wasn't so sure we could go back. Hope can't... Either way. If we stop Caius... We can only stop him in the future."

"Which means what?" Noel asked rolling his eyes. "Are you telling me that by default Caius has already won?!"

"Well kid... It's not the winning that's the problem." Snow looked contrite for a moment. "We can win. It's just that... There's a large price coming up."

"And what would that be?" Hope asked as he glared at the taller man.

"She didn't say. I didn't ask." He shrugged his shoulders. "It's not like it matters right? Could any of us sit back and let the world be destroyed?"

Hope laughed shallowly and bitterly as he shook his head. He glared at Snow fitfully and then looked at Serah and Noel. He swallowed hard, so this was what it all was then. They risk and they give up so much for the world. They drag others into this mess and all for what? To suffer more, to lose more? He'd have rather stayed crystal then. He took a deep breath and calmed himself, smoothing his features down and taking control of the situation.

"All right. Then what is important here is the raising of the new cocoon correct? Humanity has to live on." He nodded stiffly at them. "I'm going to assume that if I am assassinated that it will cause problems so I will do my best to stay alive. What will the rest of you do?"

"Serah and I will go along the timeline and fix the paradoxes that Caius has created to waylay Noel and Serah." Snow stated much more upbeat. He was a man of action and having a game plan was much, much better. "She was not meant to see the Timeline and the sooner we fix that the better I'll feel. 13 eras have been warped to ensure that this happens and I'd like to fix that."

"And what about me? Noel asked as he looked back and forth between the three. The guardian, hunter felt out of place in this meeting as if he wasn't quite being considered as one of the team.

"Light asked that you guard Hope. I know it doesn't seem as exciting but well. He means a lot to the future. And a lot to us. She also said it was 'the place you need to be to survive.' Whatever the hell that means." Snow looked back and fort between them. "I know it's not the greatest game plan... but that's what she gave me."

Hope nodded stiffly and then glared down his old friend. "I would totally disregard everything you'd said... but since Light said it I guess I can go with it." He looked to Noel. "I'm sorry that I don't have much for you to do. But I'm sure that I can change that."

"Er... According to idiot hero over there I'm supposed to protect you." Noel replied awkwardly. Hope was a friend, but distant. He'd never spent more then a few days near the other man and he wasn't sure of what to make of him or what to do with him.

"I suppose so." Hope rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty safe here though."

"Come on Hope. Sis' orders."

"You know she hates that." Serah teased, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. She squeezed Noel's arm. "I know you don't get it, but for Snow and the other's Hope is still a child."

"I heard that." Hope groaned and stared Snow down for a few seconds. "I hope you soon realize that I'm older then you now."

"Please kid. Time might be fucked up, but you will always be younger."


	2. Chapter 1

Here we go! Hope you like it:

* * *

"I... I still have a hard time believing all this." Noel said as he sat on the edge of Hope's desk as the other man sat at his desk and sighed softly.

"What? That you were left here? Or that Snow's off being his usual stupid self again."

"That Alyssa betrayed you." The other stated solemnly and Hope's mouth snapped shut. "I would have thought that she was in love with you... That you were in a relationship."

"I... Such a happening never crossed my mind. She was merely a friend." Hope stared off in the distance outside his window. "I never would have realized that she hated me so much. I mean, it's not like she didn't have a reason. The first 5 years after the fall were really hard. And considering that Pulse l'cie has always been hated and Gran Pulse was seen as hell on earth... It makes a rather sad sense."

Noel turned to him and gasped eyes wide. "How... How could you have done something that would make you.. All of you so hated?"

"Well... we didn't really have a choice. We honestly thought that we wouldn't be around to face the backlash if we succeeded anyways. We turned to crystal... Sazh, Snow and I on Gran Pulse, Fang and Vanille within the crystal pillar that they made with Ragnorok and if what is really happening is true... Light swallowed by chaos." He looked at Noel and shrugged. "It was better then the alternative. The Cocoon fal'cie nourished Cocoon and made it flourish so that people would happily breed more and more. To make a fitting sacrifice to their maker. Cocoon would have fallen either way... It was mostly just a question of how many had to die."

"That's disgusting." Noel replied quietly and Hope nodded in agreement.

"We were pets to the Cocoon fal'cie... The Pulse fal'cie only consider us when we interrupt their space. We are merely usable insects to them."

"In my time they don't even exist." Noel commented vaguely in wonder.

"Fal'cie... are a rather strange kind of living thing. They have a focus like l'cie but they can not betray their focus... Ever. Which is why the Cocoonian fal'cie couldn't destroy it. After we destroyed Orphan all of the Fal'cie within Cocoon stopped... or I guess died might seem appropriate. They gained all their power from Orphan." Hope had a rather troubled look on his face. "A central Fal'cie who was merely a power source, never meant to wake."

"So you think that the Fal'cie here on Gran Pulse have a central 'power source as well."

"It would explain why they don't exist in your time. But then again such an idea scares me... because that would mean that such a Fal'cie is why the planet is still alive. And for it to die... it would become a bitter husk... Worse then Cocoon because there is no 'outside' world to continue to sustain it."

"What does that even mean?" Noel asked quietly.

"People still sort of live on Cocoon. When it fell... It broke open more... So the outside sunlight, rain and such all can make it inside and continue life inside. Not as wonderful as it once was. But still... It exists."

"Do you miss it?" Noel asked quietly.

"Of course I do." Hope snapped bitterly and then he sighed softly. "Cocoon was paradise Noel. My biggest problems were my dad being too busy to spend time with me. I didn't worry about food, or safety or anything. I was a coddled baby."

Noel wisely didn't say anything else as the older man's facial expression soured more. He looked to Hope's window, looking outside at the world that they lived in now. Beautiful and bountiful. Hope sighed weakly and sank deeper into his chair.

"Sometimes... I feel bad for the Fal'cie." He swallowed as the other looked over at him. "They have a purpose that they barely want. We... There are thousands of Fal'cie. Ones that weren't even involved in the destruction of Cocoon. Their directive was merely to nourish humans. And all of them died."

Noel swallowed hard and he reached out but stopped short. He knew pretty quickly that the silver haired man didn't like to be touched. He was a very tactile person, which had been easy with Sarah. She was the same. They often traveled to places more his speed or were fighting so he had much less time to feel awkward. But this world was almost completely different, a world he strived to make.

"What's it like?" Hope asked suddenly. "In the future?"

"Well... I can't say for sure." The hunter replied quietly. "I mostly remember that it was well... Dead. Sand for miles and miles. The sky bleak. Few animals left. Fewer water sources left. When I was a child, it was bad but not so bad?" He shrugged. "The village was next to a water source but when I was 14 it got contaminated and dried up. The other one was smaller, further way. By the time I was 18... it was just me."

"Because Yeul had died..." Hope whispered and Noel nodded as he stared down at his hands.

"My life was hard. I... My parents died young. And my grandmother taught me about medicines and cooking. When I was... nine I think Caius came. My grandmother asked him to teach me to hunt since no one else had time... But Caius taught me so much more." He shrugged idly.

"What did he teach you?" Hope asked quietly and Noel shrugged again.

"Everything it seems. With every paradox we solve my memory gets weaker. But... to read and write... Plusian and Cocoonian. He... he had a pad like you have. Where he taught me history, strategy, technology I guess." He pointed outside. "I don't quite understand everything out there... But I'm sure I've learned about all of it at some point."

"Noel." Hope stood up and walked around his desk, his lips pursed in thought. "Are you're memories being replaced or just... being erased?"

He felt guilty for asking such a question but he had a feeling that his fears were going to be confirmed and he had to know. Because maybe he could do something about it. He thought about what Snow had said and if he was the thing that could save Noel he would. Forget what Light had said, he would make sure to the best of his abilities. No more losses... He wasn't leaving anyone else behind.

"I... I don't know." Noel looked troubled. "It's just at certain places in my memories are fuzzy. As if they haven't been developed at all."

Hope nodded and then he smiled kindly. Maybe he was wrong and they were just weird because they were in the process of being reformed? He decided not to ask just yet and to relax. The stress building in his shoulders was quickly becoming a physical ache.

"All right, this is too heavy of a conversation. Let's go get something to eat."

* * *

It was day two and nothing they looked up about who might want to assassinate Hope had turned up anything. Hope had shrugged it off, assuming that they would just have to keep searching. His nonchalant behavior about his own life left Noel concerned. The amount of time that he was spending with the older man was making him more concerned.

He spent a lot of time with the older man. Mostly to protect his identity. Very few people knew about the time travelers. And those that did were all confined to team Alpha. In the course of the first day, Noel had learned a lot about Hope's position and place within the Academy and he was rather sure of what such a position would be like on a person. He'd taken over team Alpha, the head team of the Academy way back when he was 19, which made him the defacto leader of the Academy. He was the head director, but it was a council of the team heads that controlled the large government/research facility.

He also leaned, very quickly within the course of a day, was that Hope was very unhappy. Most of team Alpha he didn't know very well other then Alyssa and many of the members mostly treated him as if he were a god. Hope had no outside friends and hardly did anything outside of Academy headquarters. Even his living space was within the giant building and Noel felt like this was unhealthy.

He was with Hope now, at the top of the building in the cafe to eat breakfast. The space filled with plant life and wide open. The wind was blocked by glass. And it was beautiful but it made Noel long to go outside. He could see that Academia was a tamed paradise, but he could also see that much of Gran Pulse was still untamed and he want to go out there. He wanted to feel free again.

"...it would probably be best to head outside and do something not Academy related. Maybe just a trip... Noel?" Hope was staring at him in confusion and Noel realized that he'd drifted off.

"Oh, sorry? You were saying?"

"I said that we should go out today. Today is actually my day off. And well... I never went out there before because Alyssa can't fight. This way, the Guardian Corps don't have to come."

"You sound like you have a place in mind." Noel hinted at and Hope nodded. "I wanted to go to New Bodhum. It sounds stupid but... tonight is the fireworks show and I want... There's a lot of memories attached to that."

Noel wanted to ask what, but the look on Hope's face was somber and sad. He nodded lightly and took a sip of his drink as he thought about it. "Will we spend the night there?"

"I'm afraid the Guardian Corps won't think that's very safe. It's not really the same Bodhum as back then. We'll go causally. Most people know how I am, but I think it should okay."

"Sounds good. I can protect you!" Noel smirked at the chance to get away from Academia. Hope smiled at his enthusiasm and Noel felt himself feel a little weird. Before the other could notice he turned back to his food, determined to hid whatever that change was. "I'm very glad that I got the chance to stay in this time for a while. The food is amazing!"

Hope's smile softened into something gentle and fond. He loved showing Noel new things about life in Academia and this era. Even though previously he was only able to show him the happy people and a few quick meals between time jumps... He was grateful for this time. It was a stupid wish, but he wanted everyone to be happy. Everyone. And giving Noel the chance to live without worry of the next meal, and a soft bed... As simply as it was, he was glad to give these experiences to the other.

"Just wait." He smiled gently. "Until you taste the ice cream that New Bodhum is famous for."

* * *

Noel found himself watching Hope as their transit took them to New Bodhum. The director had fallen asleep in his seat as he'd stared out the window at he passing scenery. Noel had been doing much the same, as he tried to avoid looking at the other. Hope's head was tilted against the window, long lashes rested gently against his skin. Noel felt stupid noticing such a stupid little detail but...

Now, that he had time to breath. That it wasn't all that quick stop, go, sleep, fight that he was use to, he had time to really look at the world around him. And Hope was a very good subject to study. His silver hair, brushing against his checks. His long, awkward legs and arms. His brow was still furrowed as if sad or in consternation. He wanted to smooth that out.

He wanted to know why a man so great and loved and heralded could be filled with such pain. He also, if he stopped to think about it, wanted to be one of the people that alleviated it. He knew that Lighting was one of those people and Vanille. It made him feel like he couldn't do anything. Surely one of those women had the position that he coveted. He swallowed hard.

That line of thought push him into a realization that he wasn't ready for. Now that he had the time to really look over his own thoughts and feelings, he realized that he cared for the other man. More then cared probably had feelings. Leaning back in his seat and turning back to the actual scenery Noel thought back to 10AF, when he'd first met the other man. Tried to think of what he thought and felt when first laying eyes on the other man.

After a solid 20 minutes of thinking Noel realized, with an unsettled feeling in his stomach that he really did have feelings for Hope. They'd been there since they first met. A remembered jolt at seeing the silver haired man for the first time. Being enthralled with his voice. The guilt he'd felt when he realized that many of his actions directly returned affected the man's memory.

And the worst memory of all, that solidified it. The horror, pain and grief he'd felt in Augusta Tower when the A.I. had told him Hope was dead. Or worse, the vision of it happening. Feelings that he'd shoved down because his own life was in danger and then all but forgotten when he'd seen him alive again. He closed his eyes with a long suffering sigh. An unrequited set of feelings was the last thing that he'd wanted to deal with on top of everything else that they had to deal with.

* * *

The town of New Bodhum in the year 400AF was vastly different from the one that Noel had seen all those years ago. Once they got to the beach it look kind of the same. Small shops and houses but those quickly gave way to city streets more reminiscent of Academia when you were in the city proper. Hope when the finally got off the train in New Bodhum Beach Station went and changed his clothes into something more relaxed.

But Noel could tell from the material that it was woven into body armor. Casual work pants and a loose shirt and jacket. He noticed that the yellow bandana was still tied around his wrist. Noel begin to wonder if he ever took it off. Hope smiled softly and gestured him to the gates.

"It'll be a few hours before sundown... The monsters here aren't so strong but I figured that I'd get some real training in while we're here."

"Somehow, I feel like there's a reason that you wanted to come here with just me." Noel raised an eyebrow and Hope nodded faintly.

"Well, the government doesn't know that I can still do magic. In the past I wore a manadrive but I never really needed it. But now I know why I have it." He pointed towards the exit towards the wilder parts of the beach, where the warnings were posted. "I was worried because while magic has come back to the people in a sense... It's not the same as what I have."

"And what do you have?" Noel asked as he leaped over the barricade followed by the other man.

"My powers." He admitted quietly. "When you become a l'cie... the Fal'cie aren't giving you powers... they are awakening the ones you already have. L'cie in many ways have no limitations of their growth due to the Fal'cie. Or well they do, but to live freely like I and the others now do... Well, that made us a danger to the Fal'cie... and thus we turned into crystal when our focus is over... Or cieth when we fail to please our masters."

"That sounds terrible... but you were crystal weren't you. Serah told me about that."

"We woke up. Whoever woke us up... Snow told me that it was Etro but... If she did she couldn't turn us off for lack of a better term." He lifted his hands and greenish fire appeared on his fingers. "I'm rather happy about it."

"Then why did Snow become a l'cie again? That doesn't make sense." Noel shook his head but Hope smiled fondly at him and shook his head.

"When you fought with Snow what was he like?" The scientist asked quietly.

"Stronger, faster. He seemed almost inhumane and never needed to heal."

"Exactly. Being a l'cie increases your abilities as well. You become super human." His face became sorrowful for a second. "If not for that I wouldn't have survived. I am a talented mage, probably one of the best... but I have a lot of physical limitations that even being a l'cie couldn't really change..."

"But Snow..."

"All my limitations are here now. I am a strong magic user... one might even say super strong... but I am not a l'cie... they are super human. Snow, to guard the pillar needed the power of a l'cie if what you say is true. He was fighting an endless battle against the flan to keep them from melting the pillar." Hope swallowed hard. "It's a godlike power that of course I don't possess anymore."

"But you're the one that made the cocky statement about your magic." Noel stated as he turned around to walk backwards. Most animals near a human settlement most likely wouldn't be terribly strong considering the Guardian Corps.

"Human capabilities are amazing." Hope admitted quietly as he paused and pointed to Cocoon. "We thought that such things were something that only a Fal'cie could make. But what we've done on Gran Pulse is far greater. And likewise. With the amount of training that I put in with my magic... I'm almost as strong magically as I had been then. But, I can't account for the boosts that being a l'cie gave me. I no longer have an endless well of magic, I'm only good at certain types of magic now instead of all of them. My limits had to be built up then endurance and determination."

"So your magic is like mine then?" Noel asked quietly. "I mean, I'm on the weaker side because I spent more time training my physical side."

"Well sort of, I didn't have to learn how to use it, I just have to extended my limits. Like I said, Fal'cie could turn us on by making us l'cie... but they can't turn us off. And even not being as powerful and remarkable as a l'cie... Enough humans awakened would have the power to have stopped them." He laughed. "The Fal'cie held us back because our potential was far greater then theirs. Jealousy might be appropriate. But that was purely a Cocoonian Fal'cie mindset."

"That's depressing." Noel turned towards the trail and started walking again. "That just means they were too stupid to really utilize humans and that led to their downfall."

"I don't think they could have utilized us. If the six of us hadn't challenged our fate, hadn't had Serah as an inspiration... We would have simply fulfilled out fate. Maybe their so called maker forsaw that and stopped them." Hope shook his head. "But that's a lot of conjecture on my part. It would be impossible to know what Lindzei was thinking."

"Lindzei is the God of the Cocoon Fal'cie and Pulse is the God of the Gran Pulse Fal'cie and I guess us humans have Etro." Noel replied quietly. "At least that's what Caius told me."

"What exactly was life like for you? Before you started traveling, I mean?" Hope asked quietly.

"Hard." Noel responded. "Long." He added after a moment. "When I was very young... my grandmother was my sole caretaker... My parents had died swiftly and most of the village had no time for me. I was one of the last three children born. And since Yeul was the Seeress, she was really the only one who was important."

Hope opened his mouth to say something but Noel waved him off. There were some Nektons but they were far off, and Noel wanted to finish before they lost themselves in battle. "Caius took me in when I was 5 years old as an apprentice. My grandmother had thought it was great. She being the village historian and doctor... she taught me a bit about reading, but she couldn't teach me things like hunting and what not. Caius was a brutal teacher though."

"He gave me a datapad and forced me to learn more then even made sense at the time. Day and night I learned about old cultures, languages, math, technology. I understand a lot of the things that exist in this time even if it's only from a... book standpoint. And it's weird... Even as we change the timeline... my memory gets warped, especially on the history side... But everything else stays the same. The history part makes me sad, as that was often where my grandmother and I could still bond."

"You miss her a lot don't you?" Hope asked in a somber tone. "I understand the feeling... the longing I mean."

Noel nodded quietly. He found he didn't really feel like fighting. He stretched his arms above his head. "I think that's what's really the hardest part in all of this. The people who get left behind."

Hope swallowed hard at Noel's words, because he that was still something that wounded him greatly. Being left behind, not sure if he was good enough.

* * *

As they sat on the beach at night with ice cream. Noel had given in and admitted that Hope was in fact a formidable mage. He stared up at the dark sky waiting for the fireworks to start. It was strange he thought as he turned to look at the scientist again. They had talked more then they had battled out in the grasslands around the beach and yet... He never felt uncomfortable. Hope was someone that he just clicked with, more so then anyone else he'd ever met.

Which made him feel guilty when he thought about Yeul and then foolish when he realized that he never thought about her in the same way that he thought about the scientist.

"Don't forget to make a wish on the fireworks." Hope smiled gently. "It's a tradition."

Noel couldn't help but skeptically raise an eyebrow. "Really? I somehow don't believe that."

"I don't know if other people do it... but let's say... it's an Estheim tradition." His smile turned melancholy. "Anything is okay."

The first in a series of blasts went off. And Noel gasped. He had seen pictures of such an event but to waste explosive powder on such fancies wasn't something that could happen in 700AF. He turned to Hope, to find him smiling fondly. And he realized that he had a wish. One that he would wish over and over again.

"Hey." Hope looked over and met his eyes as the show began to wind down. "What'd you wish for?"

Noel swallowed hard and then returned quickly. "What did you wish for?"

Hope laughed softly. "I know it all seems childish but... I wished that you and I could enjoy the fireworks again. It's a small thing, but it's something I would like to do." Noel watched argentate hair fall into his eyes. "Give you this gift of a future that you and your clan will hopefully one day experience."

"Hope..." Noel reached out and took his hand. His confession was on the tip of his tongue. How could Hope be so gentle and gracious with him, he didn't know. He squeezed it gently and then he realized that he was being awkwardly forward.

"Thank you..." He pushed himself to smile back. "I'll tell you my wish when it comes true."


	3. Chapter 2

Sorry about the delay. With my mom so sick I had to go back to the US for a while and jet lag is a bitch. I will put up one more chapter this week before I go spastic again. Hopefully next month I'll be on a better update schedule.

* * *

As Hope's bodyguard, the bodyguard of the Lead Advisor and Director of the new cocoon project. Noel had been challenged by the Council and other parts of the government and the Academy for his role. Hope had convinced them by explaining that his purview was time travel and the cocoon project, but also a bit of a white lie that Noel was his protector in the past and the he'd come to this time in another experiment, which had waylaid the people who were allowed to know his top secret experiments... And cooled off everyone else thankfully.

Noel had realized fairly quickly that what Hope was doing was replacing memories of Alyssa with memories of Noel. It let an unsettled feeling in his stomach, but in the history was an offhanded mention of Hope wanting to travel with an advisor that later backed out and it was easy to sneak in Noel. Noel was labelled a guardian and Pulse expert. More to throw people off about it then to set him up as a researcher. And he settled in comfortably next to Hope, if a little bored with the things that the scientist did every day.

"You know, it's not the I'm a great scientist that I get to do all these things." Hope commented as he sat down his datapad and looked over at the latest of scientists challenging Hope's hypothesis on the breaking of the crystal pillar.

"I know what the record says director, but the reports state that the pillar is fine. Has been fine for a hundred years." The scientist, Millie Cloaks stated as she herself set down a datapad that displayed a hologram image.

"I know what you are going for, but the point is this: the pillar is safe for now. According to everything that we have, the pillar will fall in 500AF. We've tested many theories back in the first decade and more testing occurred after I left. I don't know of any way to really cushion Cocoon that would really do us any good."

"I'm just concerned, moving the entirety of society onto this Ark seems rather temporary."

"Trust me it is not." He smiled gently. "If you're remembered, I lived on Cocoon until the fall. And before that humanity had lived on Cocoon for thousands of years."

"But that was held up by a Fal'cie." She replied faintly.

"Yes, but we won't be relying on them anymore." Hope's tone was firm and brooked no argument. "The building of the Ark is going well. Once the shell is complete I'll consult the agricorps and see about setting up something like Sunleth Waterscape there, as well as renewable farming. The center of our world can be human made. It is now and it will continue to be so."

"Yes sir." She whispered as she stared at him. He smiled gently as she turned to walk away. She paused at the door. "I'm sorry for not believing Director. I'll talk to those directly on the team and see what types of machinery they will need to begin setting up terra firma inside instead of just building shelters."

"Thank you Dr. Cloaks." The door slid shut behind her and Hope shook his head. "It's kind of strange... Back then it took so much to convince people to move off Cocoon since most of it was no longer viable with the Fal'cie dormant. Now... convincing them to move off Gran Pulse is just as bad."

Noel laughed softly but he was focused on one part. "Humans are stubborn... but there's one question I have... What did you mean by 'not a great scientist?' Every time you say it people just kind of nod it off as modesty but..."

"Well, to them it's modesty." Hope replied quietly. "Because they can't really understand."

"What do you mean?" Noel tilted his head to the side and Hope smiled at the sight.

"I can talk to machines. Like how Serah and Vanille could do it too, talk to animals I mean. Mostly people have been found to be able to communicate with animals or plants. I haven't heard of someone else who can 'talk' to machines. But I'm sure I can't be the only one."

"So what? Is most of your science the machines telling you things?" Noel teased, a bright smile on his face. "Because I think I know a machine that might-"

"Don't tempt me." Hope interrupted lifting his left hand playfully. "I'm quite fond of ice magic."

Noel laughed heartily. It felt good to be around Hope and be relaxed. While they were on the third day and time was running out. He felt rather safe within the halls of the Academy. He knew that when they went outside the danger would be back. But then again as Hope had said, if what Snow said was true, then it would be tomorrow that everything would go to hell. Hope smiled at him and then looked down at his paper work.

"I know it's not what you intended... but thank you for staying with me... Noel." Hope had a faint blush across his cheeks and Noel sat up more. It was the first indication that he'd seen that Hope might be tempted to go beyond friendship. He watched as the other man distinctly ignored him. Not wanting to let the chance go he pushed for a greater reaction.

"It's nothing. After all, you've done a lot for me too."

"I like showing you new things." Hope admitted the blush deepening. "I like... treating you."

"I like you too." Noel drawled as he stood up and approached the other man. "It's been a lot of fun these past two days."

"Good." Hope stared down at his desk but when Noel's shadow fell over him he looked up. Noel leaned into his personal space and smiled at Hope. The kiss wasn't unexpected to say the least. Not with the way that Noel was leaning forward giving Hope the time to back out of it.

Hope didn't want to back out. Throughly unexperienced in such matters as a subtle connection like this. He let Noel lead as he sighed deeply into the kiss. Nothing more then a gentle chaste kiss, Hope didn't open his eyes when the other pulled back.

Noel took in the man before him, dark eyelashes still laid against his cheeks. His pale skin was still flushed but for a different reason now. Noel took in everything about him, imperfections and all. Noel set his hand on Hope's cheek gently and leaned in for another kiss. He never made it that far as he pressed a little too hard against the desk and grunted in discomfort as the sharp end pressed into his side.

"Ow, ow." He backed up, hands flailing as he lifted up the side of his shirt to see a red mark across his skin from the sharp press. He was distracted from his pained actions by soft laughter. Hope was looking at him with a sincerely happy smile on his face. One that he'd never seen before. "Beautiful."

Hope felt his face flush ever more at such whispered words. He looked down at first, in embarrassment before he shook himself and looked up. "This is probably not the best place for this... Let's go out to eat tonight."

Noel nodded eagerly and grasped the silver haired man's hand tightly. "Can we go to the one place with the... whatever it was. The place you really like?"

Hope laughed again, let his hand caress Noel's and smiled a bit brighter. "Sure."

For the rest of the day, Noel happily followed Hope around. Thinking of what could happen tonight when they talk about their feelings for real.

* * *

Hope's favorite restaurant in the year 400AF is based off an old Palumpolum restaurant called Futures that his mother had loved. He didn't want to admit that he was super sentimental but memories of his mother was as much a daily motivator for him as the people that he was working to save and be reunited with now. As Noel excitedly looked over the menu. Hope wondered how he couldn't be nervous.

"After this," Noel started and when had he put down the menu. "is it all right if we go straight to your place..."

He trailed off but Hope knew what he meant. Not having a lot of people around for most of his life, had made Noel a private and rather solitary person. Hope was in a lot of ways the same way but his project had increased his reliance on others to a point he couldn't ignore. But like this, just quietly being with Noel was a great improvement on his life that he hadn't known he needed. The prospect of starting a relationship was an even greater gift.

Dinner went by quickly and as they walked back towards his home. Hope found himself throwing caution to the wind and grasping Noel's hand as they walked through the quiet streets. Academia was like a paradise most days. Or maybe the calm before the storm considering what the future held, but tonight... He looked over at Noel as he the hunter led the way through the streets. Tonight was a little bit of paradise for Hope.

When they reached his apartment, Hope could feel butterflies in his stomach. Now that he was faced with the part about actually talking about having a relationship everything suddenly felt frightening. Almost like the first time that he'd set foot on Gran Pulse. The elevator ride was quiet and even once they were inside, Noel was quiet as he put away his weapons.

Hope copied him, having forgotten that he was wearing his boomerang because of Snow's dire threat a few days ago. With more thought he also pulled off his Academy jacket and gloves. Noel smiled at him brightly and approached him again and grabbed his hands.

"It feels good doesn't it?" Noel asked quietly as he continue to look at him. "Just being together."

Hope swallowed hard as he realized that there was still so much more outside their little bubble. He pulled his hands from Noel's and pressed them to the taller man's face and looked into his eyes. He wasn't sure of what came over him, but he knew that this was something he wanted more then anything. He leaned up the little bit it took to connect their mouths. Noel chuckled lightly against his lips as he settled his hands on the silver haired man's narrow waist.

"I'm not sure this is what Lightning had in mind." Noel teased as he pulled back and pressed his forehead against the shorter man's."I can't say I mind the outcome though."

Hope smiled gently, he could feel tears building behind his eyes. He leaned into the other, letting himself rest. Noel slid his arms further around the other to hold him tight as the silver haired man pressed his hands to the hunter's chest. The strong heartbeat under his hands was reassuring.

"It's a little fast isn't it?" Hope murmured lightly. "But it feels right? Like now that we had time to breathe it all feel into place."

The hunter hummed his agreement as he shifted a bit to cradle the scientist. The silence stretched between them comfortably for a few moments before Hope pulled back and led them to the couch to sit together. Hope pressed himself back against the hunter, laying his head on his shoulder. He wasn't normally one for physical contact, but he found himself scared that if he couldn't feel the hunter's skin that he would realize it was all a dream.

"I guess, this is the point where I ruin everything." Noel murmured even as one of his hands played with the bottom of Hope's shirt, slowly pulling the back of it out of his pants. "But... the future is changing..."

"I don't think it's a problem." Hope intercepted quickly as he sat up and looked at him. "The future isn't set. But remember what Snow said... there's a large price to pay. And whatever it is, it will affect all of us. And considering how much of the future... this part of the future requires my time travel I can't go back... I can either be alone in 500AF or find you in 700AF."

"That's if we even remember each other. Because when we fixed 10AF you didn't remember us when we met you in the fixed timeline." Noel pointed out and Hope sighed in frustration.

"Well then if that does happen it's not like we'll miss something we don't remember." He snapped in irritation as he curled his hands into fists. "Who knows how long it will take everything to happen. Do you want to sit here with me for weeks, months or hell maybe even a year or two pretending that we don't feel anything for each other? If time is going to run out for us I want to live it to the fullest."

"Hey." Noel's voice was quiet as he lifted Hope's face up to see his red rimmed eyes. The anger leaving a high flush to his cheeks. Noel kissed him gently. "I didn't mean to make you upset. It's just..."

"Whatever the cost will be Noel... It's going to be a lot. If what Snow believes is true and whatever Lightning might have inferred..." He swallowed hard and lifted his hands to cup Noel's face again and stared deeply into his eyes. "I don't want to die wondering what it could have been like. Even living with only the memory is better then that."

"You aren't going to die." Noel hissed possessively as he pushed Hope down into the couch and crouched over him. "I'm going to protect you."

"Even if I live to be an old man. I-" He was cut off by the dark haired man's mouth.

This kiss was different then previous ones. Rough and possessive, practically claiming the older man. Hope kissed back just as fiercely but he was no where near as aggressive as the younger man. The scientist clutched at the hunter's shoulders, pulling him down even as Noel braced himself with an arm beside the scientist head and the other on his hip. Hope parted his legs, wanting the other man closer without thought. Pressed together that way sent a shiver of pleasure through him and he moaned weakly, breath stolen away.

"Too much." Hope gasped as he pulled away. Noel didn't heed him at first, pressing kisses down along his neck, to his shirt. But the hunter didn't move any further, just laying down on Hope, allowing his body to be cradled by the older man.

"You know... you're probably right." Noel whispered and Hope couldn't help but smile as he held the man on top of him.

* * *

Hope woke up to the sight of richly tan skinned and far too bright sunlight shinning into his eyes. He was curled up into Noel in his bed in their night clothes. It was comforting, Hope thought to lie with the hunter and feel maybe a fraction of the comfort that Serah must have felt when she was reunited with Snow all those years ago. It wasn't perfect, but it was something to ease the pain.

It hadn't surprised him that Noel had saw no reason for such things as pajamas which made sense though it had embarrassed Hope last night but felt perfectly comfortable now. He looked over at his clock, it was getting closer and closer to the time that he had to get up, the silver haired mage felt dread pool in his stomach.

Today was the day, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to go outside yet. He hadn't touched Noel enough, hadn't spent enough time with him. And as his mind searched franticly for things that he'd wanted to experience before his own death... He'd wanted to have sex with the younger man. His thoughts must have been loud, becuase Noel, who must have been humoring him by pretending to be asleep shifted.

"Hey."

"Hey." He breathed as he tried not to think about all the terrible things that could happen today. Right now, he wanted to live in the moment with Noel and think about how wonderful the other was.

All right, so maybe lamenting his own death was making him sappy and sentimental, but he felt he was aloud.

"Yo... person here under you." Noel teased as he tilted the silver haired man's head up. Noel's eyes were gentle as he stared down at him and Hope swallowed hard as he looked at him. A kiss was pressed against his mouth that calmed down all the frantic thoughts that ran through his mind. "How about we start with breakfast?"

The alarm went off, blaring through the room. And Noel who'd never spent a morning with the scientist jerked in surprise. Hope reached out and turned the alarm off. He looked at Noel and sighed softly before he set up. What was next he wondered idly? What all would happen today that would cause him problems? When would the attack happen? Snow had only given him clarification that today was today.

"Hope. Hope!" Hands were on his shoulders, shaking him slightly. "Look at me."

"S-sorry." He smiled a little surprised at the rapid pace of his own breath. "I just can't help but think about it."

"Well stop." Noel commanded gently. "We have a lot to do today with the graviton core placement tests today."

"I know, but my mind..." He trailed off and glared down at Noel's chest. "Stupid Snow ruins everything."

"Stupid Snow is just trying to save your life the best way he can." Noel replied raking a hand through silver locks. "You had to deal with him for weeks... months? During the Fall, shouldn't you be use to this by now?"

"If you mean him screaming 'Serah' constantly and moping and basically annoying the shit out of the rest of us... Then yes, I had to deal with Snow." Hope grouched as he squeezed his hands in his lap. "He's such a stupid jerk."

"You don't really think that." Noel replied and Hope shook his head and looked up at him with twinkling eyes.

"Oh, I mean every word of it. The only good sides he might have, he shows to Serah." He sighed softly and leaned forward into the hunter. "I shouldn't waste time on this."

"You can do whatever you want." Noel replied quietly. "I'm here to listen to you at the very least."

"I honestly think that there are better things to listen to then me complaining about Snow." Hope teased and then stretched his arms above his head to feel his bones pop pleasingly into place. "He's like an older brother that you know got dropped on his head too many times as a baby."

Noel gasped and laughed hard into the sheets as he rolled away for Hope. "Warning next time!"

Hope smiled at his partner's? Yes, partner, he liked the way that sounded, continued laughter. "Let's get ready, I want to get myself busy so that I can stop thinking about it.

"Okay." Noel sat up and reached for his clothes. "I'll use the bathroom down the hall."

* * *

Hope sat at the main console of the control room, his eyes darting back and forth between the computerized hologram and the video feed from the sight. The basic structure of the bottom of the new cocoon was complete but the topside was still in the works. The cores had been placed in what he'd thought was the optimal places but now to test if that was enough. Five gravitation cores had seemed like enough but he wasn't totally sure anymore now that he didn't have Alyssa to back him up.

He choked on his breath as he thought about her. She had vanished during the night that he'd spent with Noel. And though the memory of her had been fading all along, only preserved by Noel's influence he still felt guilty. She had done a lot for him and had done a lot for humanity. But now, now she was gone and everything she had done had been attributed to others.

If there was one thing that he could do and that was in limited capacity, it was to remember her. And maybe it was a bit of his own selfishness that forced him to try and remember. While Noel remembered her perfectly, it was only his memories of 700AF that were being taken from him... Hope was forgetting things within his own past. Within the parts of his past that were connected to Noel.

Which terrified him. He had talked a big game about traveling to 700AF and finding Noel to continue their... relationship. But, if he forgot Noel, would he even bother to leave 500AF? And what would his life be like if he forgot Noel and the adventures of him and Serah. If all he could remember was choosing to leave everyone he loved behind.

If all he was left with were the bad memories what would become of him?

A heavy hand dropped on his shoulder and he turned to see Director Nabaat, a name that always made him start at first, even if said person wasn't related to Jihl Nabaat at all. Or well, if they were 400 years into the future would be enough to remove any connection to the PSICOM Colonel.

"You with us?" He asked quietly as he look at him. Director Suin Nabaat was a hulking man, sharing a similar build to Snow but with skin the color of rich earth. He was a fatherly kind of man and had latched onto Hope with a father's kind of empathy.

"My mind has been distracted today." He admitted quietly. "Do to the..."

"I know." The hand squeezed gently. "Once the tests are over, I'd feel better if you and Noel left for today. I know it's only delaying the inevitable but... Maybe changing your habits will give us some more time to figure out who could be behind this."

"I would say yes... but just in case there is nothing we can do... I really have to have those meetings with the Agricorps today." Hope stated quietly. "If I can get everything that I can set up before I... Incase something happens I'd like it done. I need to get it done."

Director Nabaat nodded in understanding but his face spoke of exactly how he felt about it. Hope was in many ways the 'hope of the future.' He had awakened barely a year ago and had immediately started to aid research without any question, with out any desire of recognition. He had a feel that the young Director hadn't wanted it either, but it was hard considering who he was to not be. After all, this was his project and his vision to change this future.

As the levitation tests started, Hope kept his eyes glued to the screen. Halfway through the test, Noel entered the room and leaned against the wall. The silver haired man knew without looking that he was looking at the screen, watching as the new cocoon slowly lifted 50 meters off the ground and was released, floating of it's own accord. As the cranes took a hold of it and allowed it to float higher.

Hope breathed a sigh of relief. Even if things went to hell today, he had done it. The new cocoon would be able to be lifted and while the evacuation wasn't for another 70 years or so, he knew that the Academy would now completely stand down by the orders he'd set down for the future.

Maybe now he could focus on things for him. He looked at Noel and smiled thinly. It was good but there was still a worry. The last part of the levitation test, required Hope to go to the annex facility on the outskirts of Academia to calibrate the placement of the gravitation cores.

All that the had to go on was that the attack would most likely happen at the annex facility, but Hope needed to make that trip. So they had agreed to make it as small a trip as possible. He looked at Noel. The attack would happen there. What kind of attack no one knew, but they had to let it happen. He swallowed hard, and prepared for the hardest part of the day.


	4. Chapter 3

The annex facility was a nondescript building with an Academy insignia on the sign leading up to it. Inside was the machinery that was directly connected to the placement of the gravitation cores. They assumed that some kind of armed attack would most likely take place here and so they made sure to place as many Guardian Corps people as they could around and near the facility.

Which Noel thought was stupid, making it more obvious. But even the hunter had to admit that there was nothing else that they could really do. They stood quietly, saluting as the two men passed and the hunter looked over each of them uncomfortable. It could be anyone that was going to attempt to take Hope's life. He found his mind wandering to Augusta Tower in the thankfully ended timeline, remembering how Hope had died once. Due to an error of the scientist's own judgement. A time in which Hope could have died before he'd even had time to understand that he cared so deeply for the master mage.

Once they were inside the control room of the complex, Hope turned to the master panel and begin to work vigorously. They both felt the need to get back into the city as soon as possible. Everything about this place felt far to vulnerable. As the hour droned on, Noel found himself becoming unreasonably bored, even though he knew he should be on high alert.

"Noel, could you go into the next room and send the forwarding message to Director Nabaat? When you get back, we should be ready to go." Hope replied without looking as he sensed the other's boredom and impatience.

"On it." Noel waved as he exited the room glad for something to do.

* * *

Hope began to shut down the computer in front of him. He felt nervous and achy. He wanted out of here as fast as possible. Usually he had no particular feelings about the annex center but considering what was meant to happen today, he felt nervous. After shutting down the computer, he headed into the antechamber to check the visuals of what the inside of the new cocoon looked like, and the camera modules. As the door slid shut behind him, the first blast happened.

Hope flew forward into the console. Gasping in pain as his shoulder was jarred. He rolled over groaning in pain. The control room had been completely destroyed. His guards and any scientists that in there were dead. Only the metal doors had spared his own life. He felt a power surge and rolled under one of the blown off doors as the second explosion went off. He swallowed hard in fear. Had Noel come back to the control room? Was there yet another bomb in the communications room?

He pressed his head into his hands as he leaned down with his eyes closed. He choked on a cry as another explosion sounded. It was most likely that he was going to die here and when Snow had told him of the assassination, he hadn't been too horrified at the thought of it. It had never occurred to him that the attack would be on such a grand scale. He had assumed an assassination, not a massacre.

"HOPE!" He heard the cry of his name and it made him jerk up as he swallowed down his terror. After all, the explosions seemed to have stopped now. Which meant that if terrorists were going to be through that sweeps would start. The call sounded out again. The panic in Noel's voice rekindled the terror that Hope had felt before hand.

The silver haired man opened and closed his mouth a few times, but he couldn't get himself to speak up. He could hear the sounds of Noel's foot steps coming closer as he tried to will himself to call out. Suddenly there was a face that appeared at the other side of the door. He scrambled back and then winced as he realized that his arm was injured.

Noel was over him immediately, he grabbed Hope's injured arm and careful examined the deep cut. Hope whimpered and tried to pull back but the hunter pulled him forward and kissed him roughly across the mouth.

"You scared the shit out me." The guardian hissed, the rare obscenity scaring some of the shock out of Hope's system but not enough to make him much more useful. Noel turned away from him still gripping his arm and looked back into the destoryed control room. "We need to get out of here."

"N-N-Noel." Hope reached for his shoulder and missed. He felt weird. Noel turned into time to see the scientist's eyes roll up into his head. Confused he pulled Hope up into his arms and began to search for a way out.

Noel managed to get them to the upper levels and down a hall before he heard the sound of bullets and he cursed. He couldn't carry Hope and fight. But leaving the other behind was not an option he could consider. He ducked into a room and noticed that most of the room was missing in the face of a bomb probably having blown it out. He sat Hope down slowly and gently looked him over. He found that in his back, was some kind of small dart, like the ones that had been all over the gore he had found in the destroyed control room. He pulled it out and tossed it aside.

Without much time or the knowledge to analyze it, the hunter just assumed that that was the cause for the man's unconscious state. The other people in the room being beyond mutilated would be the reason that he hadn't seen the effects on others. After checking for more injuries and then casting a minor cure on himself, the long cut in his side from shrapnel probably wasn't going to get better any time soon, but the blood flow was now sluggish and that was good enough.

The hunter paused as he heard footsteps but no one checked the room, probably assuming that it was blown out and empty. After the steps faded he headed towards the edge and noticed that this part led out into the wilds. Noel sighed, it was their best bet at this point. He checked his comm for damage and found that it was okay though he was glad it was still off and began to look for a way down.

As he scanned it, he noticed an odd collection of rocks that made a rather jagged slide. If he jumped carefully he could probably hit the smoother parts and get down to the base before it fell. He then looked back at his friend? Partner? Lover? He shook his head. He could make it, braving his way through the complex wasn't a good idea.

He walked back over to Hope and brushed a hand across his face but there was no response from parted lips. Noel had a feeling that these terrorists had wanted him alive regardless of what Snow had said but in their hands it's not like Hope would have lived much longer. He pulled the scientist onto his back and secured him as best he could. He approached the edge of the building. Taking a deep breath, he readied himself and took the first jump.

It was hard going, his leg got caught on a jagged edge on the second jump throwing him off balance but he managed to on the third get his equilibrium back and get to the fouth, fifth and sixth no problem. On the last jump, he slipped and they both tumbled to the ground. Noel groaned in pain and looked for Hope, finding him not too far away, blood flowing from the side of his head. Swallowing down panic he moved closer and rolled him over. The unconscious man must have hit a rock or something. Sluggish blood flow turning his silver hair into a murky red and slipping down his cheek.

"Let's get some where safe." Noel told him and lifted him into his arms and headed into the forest.

As he began to walk into the forest, another larger explosion occurred, forcing Noel to take refuged behind a rock. The hunter figured that it destroyed the rest of the building which hopefully meant that the terrorists might go back to where the hell they came from. One could only hope anyways. He looked down at his precious cargo and sighed softly. If he could make it back to the city limits he could meet up with the Guardian Corps and get back to headquarters.

The walk was long and quiet and even though Hope's breath remained strong and healthy, the hunter still found himself getting increasingly worried about the other. When he finally broke the tree-line, he realized they were near the service road for the rail system that moved between Academia and New Bodhum. Obviously much closer to the former then the latter, he slipped back into the trees with a renewed sense of direction and headed for where he hoped the nearest service station would be.

It took hours to get there, especially since he had to take breaks to cast healing spells on himself and Hope, thankfully far away enough to not attract people with the glows of Curas. He placed Hope down and slowly approached the building and waved down a member of the Guardian Corps that was on patrol.

"Noel Kriess? What are you doing out here?" The soldier asked as he looked at him curiously. "And where is the director? We heard about the attack."

"The director is safe." Noel replied quietly. "Can you please call the Academy and get someone out here."

"Sir. If you would like you and the director can wait here." The grunt said as he motioned to the station. Noel didn't really like the idea, but he found he had no choice as he was going to have to really figure out how much longer Hope was going to be unconscious. He stayed still for a moment thinking but he knew that for the most part the building had been destroyed and most of the terrorists would have assumed that Hope had died in one of the blasts, since it was obvious that they didn't do an actual search to check for survivors. The explosions were too close in time.

Those footsteps he'd heard were probably escaping traitors.

"All right." He spoke quietly and walked back into the woods and hefted the still unconscious director into his arms and headed for the station. The soldier gestured him to the small medical bay that existed in case accidents happened on the railroad. The bed was unbelievably tiny and Noel was sure he'd rested on softer rocks in the Yachas Massif. He slowly sat on the side of the bed and rested his hand against the others face.

The silver haired mage's breath was still strong but relaxed as if he were asleep, which just confirmed Noel's earlier thought. A sedative. Which still didn't make sense when he thought of the attack on the facility. Why were the first few bombs sedative shots and shrapnel? Lack of money? He knew that was important in times like this... but that still didn't make sense. Wouldn't the sedative be expensive?

Especially because it wouldn't have made a difference if Hope had been in the room with the sedative bomb. Those who had been there weren't only dead but completely mutilated in way that would probably contribute to his nightmares. When the grunt soldier had left to contact command with the codes that Noel had given him. The hunter shut the door and set his larger blade against the bed and leaned down.

"Stop worrying me jerk." He whispered before he kissed Hope's temple, he thought it was too weird to kiss an unconscious person's mouth. Still sleeping rather like the dead, Noel sat back up, his senses still on high alert. He wasn't sure he'd be able to come off of the adrenaline anytime soon as he was still nervous about trusting the grunt.

* * *

Hope felt like he was back in crystal. His sleep deep but nerve wracking as half formed phantoms chased him. He jerked awake as if he'd hit the surface after a long time under water and gasped for air as he clutched at his chest. He trembled as he sat there, alone in an unknown place. He closed his eyes and took deep breathes as memory came back still too disoriented to protect himself.

It came as a surprise to him when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder and he looked up to see Noel staring nervously at him before his eyes darted to the door. Hope turned expecting to see someone there but the door was shut. He looked back up at Noel and the hunter shook his head.

"No one enters until I give the go ahead. Are you okay?" The guardian asked quietly.

"No." The silver haired man easily admitted as he stared down at his hands. Part of him was actually surprised to see the pale fingers that he dealt with day in and day out instead of something horrifying such as being a cieth. Noel sat down in front of him and gently cupped his cheeks.

"Hey." The hunter murmured as he moved his partner's head so that their eyes could meet. "You're safe now."

"Really?" Hope muttered back grumpily and then sighed deeply. "I know Snow said an assassination attempt. But an assassination and a bombing are two different damn things."

"Well... considering what the aims of this group maybe be. I think it was effectively both. You were hit with a sedative dart from the explosion. Apparently the first few bombs were filled with them. It couldn't have hit you directly... You wouldn't have survived that." Noel stroked silver hair and then kissed a sweaty forehead.

Hope seemed to deflate after that and leaned into Noel with his arms closed. A weak laugh leaving him as the dark haired man looped his arms around him. He breathed in the smell of Gran Pulse that clung to the hunter's tan skin and let it calm him down as the delayed adrenaline wore off. After a few minutes Noel sighed and kissed his temple.

"An envoy to take us back to Academia should be here soon. We're in a service station. Right now, it's just us and the unfortunate grunt who was manning the station." Noel spoke quietly and soothingly but Hope just now noticed that the other was on high alert.

"Don't trust him?" He asked quietly.

"I don't trust anyone right now." Noel stated. "We have no way of knowing who is what... other then they won't risk an attack on Headquarters."

Hope nodded his agreement and then pulled back slightly. "It make sense though... Headquarters has a lot more protections as it houses the government as well as the research facility. Killing me will only disrupt the cocoon project. Attacking HQ might throw the city into a panic if government officials get into the crossfire."

"Which means that the best attacks are when you are outside..." Noel sighed softly and tilted Hope's head up to kiss his mouth. "Don't scare me like that again you ass."

"You're one to talk. Last I checked, you were the one who through yourself in front of a behemoth." Hope teased back before he kissed Noel again. Now that the adrenaline and terror had worn off all he wanted to do was go home and bury himself in his sheets.

"Sir!" The envoy is here." The grunt from earlier called as he knocked on the door.

"Well enough to fight?" Noel asked quietly and Hope nodded. The scientist appreciated his partner's paranoia as anything could happen on a day as shitty as today had been so far.

* * *

Hope leaned his head against the window as they road in the bulletproof hover car. It was quiet inside their isolated car. The military taking no chances with the great 'Director from the Academy's past.' Next to him, Noel was quiet as well, arms curled around his large sword as he listened to the sounds of the car moving. Hope sighed softly, it was odd to him sometimes to realize that Noel could be so quiet and still.

While what he knew about 700AF would constitute such behavior for a hunter. Noel was usually such an explosion of motion and snark that he wasn't yet completely use to the long quiet spells of the man he was falling love with. As the sight of Headquarters came into view he let loose a breath and slowly relaxed. He reached out for the dark haired man's hand and squeezed it gently. Noel returned the gesture and laced their fingers together.

The silence stretched between them as they pulled into the hanger and the doors were opened by members of the Guardian Corps. Hope released his hand immediately, and got out of the car. Outside unsurprisingly were Director Nabaat, General Yurg and Councilor Ulman. Hope nodded at them and then turned to watch Noel get out and sheath his swords.

"I see your young protector has more then proved his worth today." Councilor Ulman stated as she pushed her glasses back into place. A tall and willowy woman, she reminded Hope of some of the school teachers of his youth, though she was much more cunning then any of them could have ever hoped to be. "After you've been to the medical bay I must request that you come to my office. Someone has decided to take credit for the attack as well as claim to have proof you are dead."

Hope swallowed hard at that and resisted the urge to reach for Noel's hand. But, as much as Councilor Ulman was important to his work, the head of the government's science committee, he knew better then to let his guard down around anyone in this place.

"Also." General Yurg stated as she cross her arms and glared at Ulman. The two had never gotten along as far as Hope knew. The general reminding him of Lightning in her firm countenance and permanently neutral face was also a contrast. Shorter then his mentor and psudo sister, she had dark skin and a thicker build then most, but the scientist had no doubts that most of it was pure muscle. "We have started to fan out to see if we can find anything about said attack. It seems that that they must have connections to some of the robberies that happened in the New Town district at the medical facilities."

"The sedative bombs." Noel replied unsurprised and the stern woman nodded, her green eyes flashing on the hunter with respect.

"Thank you for taking care of our Director. We may not be the same Academy of centuries past but he is important to all of us." She saluted and turned for the door. "If I find anything important I'll send a runner."

Nabaat who'd been silent so far sent a fond look after General Yurg and then nodded to the two. "If you'll follow me I'll let the medics get a look at your injuries and then maybe get some food in you? You can't go back to your rooms for a few hours unfortunately as security is searching for bugs and updating your security systems... As I know you appreciate your privacy."

"Thanks." Hope said quickly before Noel could ask questions better stated in private. Nabaat looked over at Ulman who waved her hand politely and turned to head back to the political levels of Headquarters.

Nabaat led them quietly to the elevator and as they rode up to the 500th floor, the beginning of the Research levels Nabaat let out an annoyed breath and rolled his eyes. The hanger was only a fifty floors down as they'd come back in the military wing to not alert others but it was obvious that meeting with the other two women was something he wished he hadn't had to do.

"Yurg is an admirable women if you don't mind the frostbite." He grumbled good naturedly. "But I'd sooner go to Bresha without a guardian unit then spend more time then I have to with Ulman. I swear she doesn't see people anymore just pawns and political gains."

"Well, she is hoping to be the next Chancellor. I would assume that takes quite a bit of ego and calculation." Hope replied as he slid his eyes over slickly.

"And yet, you were technically the head of the government in 10AF right? Wouldn't gaining your favor mean something?" Director Nabaat asked teasingly.

"Now, now... If things worked like way back then you'd be the head of the government and trust me... It's a job you don't want. I was only the defacto head as the Academy was mostly concerned with building a society at the time. As head of Alpha team, that made me the head honcho as it were." Hope was surprised that he'd managed to keep a straight face so far. "But I assure you that fighting on the Archylte Steppe is much more fun then those idiots were."

Both Nabaat and Noel let out surprised laughter at Hope's disdainful look as he made the deadpanned comment. It hadn't really surprised Noel to find that the other thought this way, since Hope seemed more a man of action then talking. And while science wasn't necessarily a battle, he found that it was a very hands on and goal oriented type of work. Something Noel could respect even if he didn't have the fortitude for that type of work.

It seemed like an eternity before they reached Hope's office. The former Director dropped into his chair and leaned forward with his head in his hands. The current Director, Nabaat sat down on the chair across from the other and Noel still keyed up stayed standing as he looked out the grand windows in to the peaceful looking world.

"At the present time, it seems that the group who is taking credit for this is connected to a sect that we believe is in connection to a Paradox." Nabaat murmured. "Their manifesto talked about the glory of the world under a Fal'cie. But there was also something about a place called Augusta Tower..." Nabaat started quietly watching as the two men stiffened. "I take it that this is something from the past?"

"Not the past." Noel murmured quietly. "The present... a different present. I came to 400AF once... but in that timeline... Academia was ruled by a Fal'cie."

"The Fal'cie of Gran Pulse have shown no interest in interfering with human affairs."

"Not a Gran Pulse Fal'cie." Hope's voice was muffled as his head was still resting on his folded arms. Huddled like that his eyes darted back and forth across the ground as he thought back to those original plans. His mind blasted with information about a woman with short yellow hair and a charming demeanor. "A Fal'cie created by the Academy. According to what we learned about that timeline... Alpha Team would have created a Fal'cie... Adam who would have turned on it's creators and then replicated the staff to rule over humanity as Cocoonian Fal'cie once had."

"And by replicate you also mean, that the Academy staff would have been murdered."

"Yes, but a long time ago. " Noel interjected as he looked over at Hope. The silver haired man seemed to be deflating in on himself. Whether it was because he was tired or because they were discussing his death in an alternative timeline. He turned to Nabaat. "Shouldn't we go to the medical bay?"

"Actually we are waiting for Lissa Maudlyn... She is know for her discretion and is someone I trust at a time like this." Nabaat replied as he looked over at Noel. "She should be here soon. Right now I'll leave you to your own devices."

Noel managed to wait until the door slid shut before he shot across the room and laid a hand across Hope's shoulders as he knelt down. He slid the hand up into silver hair and kissed his arm. Silence stretched between them quietly only broken by Hope's harsh breathes. Noel tilted that head slowly, wincing at the still reddish, brown streaks from the blood.

"I'm here." He murmured quietly. "I've got you."

Hope sighed tiredly and slipped down out of his seat and leaned into Noel. A hand clutched at the hunter's shoulder tightly, pale and shaky. The silence stretched on long and Noel shifted into a better position as he held the older man tighter. It was something he was sure they both needed. To feel each other's warmth and to know they were okay.

"I'm scared." Hope whispered and Noel looked down to see the man still curled tightly into him his eyes closed. "If those people want a Fal'cie leader... They won't stop. While there is no Augusta Tower... The is the Central Intelligence Core. Which stores all of the research of all the scientists. The work that was left of Alpha Team's Fal'cie research is still there. It's not much... but if they have access to more research through a paradox..."

"Hey, shush." Noel stated as he kissed the shorter man's clammy forehead. "We'll be fine."

Hope opened his mouth to say something else. Instead he sat up and clutched Noel's shoulders. The hunter tilted his head as he stared at the younger man. Hope slid his hands up and into the younger man's brown hair and pulled him towards him so that their mouths met. The kiss was hard and deep. Noel groaned as he returned the kiss and clutched at the mage tightly.

As they kissed the silver haired men let out all that he was feeling, adrenaline that was rearing it's head as the sedative continued to wear off. The fear he felt for his life as well as the man in front of him. He also felt his own terror from all that had happened today shooting up and wearing down.

The kiss ended slowly and Hope melted into his partner and closed breathed in his scent. The high now gone, he felt weak and tired. Noel stroked his head, now that Hope was coming down, he could feel the tiredness and ache in his own bones that was now slowly pushing to the forefront.

"Hey, the healer should be here soon. So let's just go sit on the couch or something for a while."

Hope nodded tiredly and Noel was a bit worried about how quiet the shorter man was. He wanted the other to actually respond to him with words but it seemed like it wasn't going to happen. Finally they situated themselves on the couch as they waited quietly for Maudlyn, neither man really able to share their thoughts.


	5. Chapter 4

Here's the update! I know I'm not really one for notes. But thanks to all the readers silent or otherwise!

* * *

General Yurg, as stern as she would have certain little quirks that made her more friendly then she seemed. Such as the bowl of candy that sat on the edge of her desk that Noel noticed with a twitch at the corner of his lips. He was very tempted to comment about it, but he knew that the response probably wouldn't have been nice. Instead he focused more on the General.

Now that he was able to really focus on her face, she was plain faced but her eyes were unusual, wide and purple. Her dark, dark curly hair had shocks of white in it, even though he could see that she wasn't all that old. She gestured the hunter and the director to their chairs. No one else was present for this meeting and while Nabaat would have been all right, Noel found himself glad that there was no one else here.

"Thank you for coming to this meeting even thought it was a little later then I thought you would be." Yurg murmured with a thin little smile. She shuffled the folders on her desk and pulled out a particular one and slid it across the desk. "This is the group that is taking credit for the attack. We've had encounters with them before as they have tried to attack your gravity well."

Hope nodded grimly as he flipped open the folder a copy was handed to Noel and she waited grim faced while they took in the details. The group, which had a very simplistic name: Fal'cie Followers, were definitely a religious cult and it made Hope sick to his stomach. Their goal was to restore Fal'cie rule to humanity in the form of a Fal'cie that it seems they think they could control.

Hope knew for a fact that no one could control Fal'cie... Not even their original makers should one chose to challenge their fate. They had access to part of his research, parts they shouldn't have had access to. It was rather disturbing. It was obvious that they knew they couldn't build one themselves. And even more awkward was the realization that they had tired to gain favor with Pulse Fal'cie who thankfully had no interest in human affairs.

It seemed that killing Hope was more of a side project for them. As if getting rid of him will allow them to persuade the government to go ahead with their plans. The mage swallowed hard and sat down the folder.

"This is very troubling." He stated quietly. "I don't know exactly how much you know about what I'm doing General Yurg... but I'll be very frank with you. These people... are probably more dangerous then you think. They have access to information from a paradox...Another timeline that shouldn't exist anymore. Which means there is no way of knowing what exactly it is they have or will do."

"I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean by that." She replied as she folded heavily callused hands together. "Do you think they have access to this other 'timeline' you speak of in which to get other...things?"

"What I'm saying is... is that I think someone or someones within this group came through a paradox to this group. They were probably already disgruntled with Academia... So to get someone that missed Fal'cie rule. Or more importantly worked in a place called Augusta Tower... They have dangerous information."

"This mysterious Fal'cie project that you alluded to." She continued.

Noel took over for his partner at that point. "The reason we know about this timeline is because I went there. A manmade Fal'cie and A.I. that will eventually take over the Academy and kill all of the higher ups and isolate all matters to Augusta Tower and permit no entrance to civilians. Through that... it will rule in the way the Cocoonian Fal'cie did." Noel commented.

"And the pitfalls of that is?" She asked with curiosity.

"It means that we will become slaves to such an entity that humans shouldn't be allowed to create. Furthermore, if done correctly, it will be able to do the things in which other Fal'cie can... Including making cieth." Hope stared down at the folder quietly. "And l'cie... A super powered army of extraordinary soldiers and monsters that it would use to dominate humanity. And when it has no use for us anymore... eradicate us."

General Yurg swallowed hard and sat back at that explanation. She turned and looked out the window towards Cocoon for a few moments and then looked back at Hope with curiosity before she asked a question that took Hope by surprised.

"You lived in that paradise... don't you miss it?"

"Miss it?" The bitter laugh he released startled her and caused Noel to reach for his hand, appearances be damned. "I miss what it was before I learned... Before my memories were tainted. The Cocoonian Fal'cie ordered an entire city of people... Men, women, children even visitors killed because of Pulse Fal'cie that they themselves had brought into Cocoon."

Yurg moved to speak but Hope silenced her and then continued on. "The Purge I'm sure your history books have told you about. All that for one l'cie and one inactive Fal'cie. And then... The 6 of us were chosen. And I learned that we were nothing but pets. That the very power foundation of Cocoon... Orphan was waiting for us to reach a certain population density so that it could drop Cocoon and kill us all."

"I know that that was the goal of the Fal'cie but-"

"They wanted to bring back their maker... Lindzei. All of the Fal'cie have a focus. To find the gate to the unseen realm. Gran Pulse Fal'cie simply search for the gate as ordered by Pulse... In the ground. In the rivers and oceans. In the sky. Through tests of courage. Fal'cie... seek the end of the world. That is their objective and we can not let those that would attempt to force that ending to gain power." Hope stated firmly as he looked up at the General.

"Then what should we do?" General Yurg asked as she looked at him with concern.

"Crush them." Noel interjected. "If they really have been influenced by a paradox-"

"No." Hope interrupted before Yurg could comment. "He means that you arrest them. Killing them will make their supporters more anxious and fanatical. What we need is to stop those that would do this and also find whatever research they may have and confiscate it."

"That's rather kind for the people who want to kill you." She commented quietly.

"A long time ago... I learned what was important." Hope stood up and nodded stiffly. He felt worn and wanted to rest. He nodded to the general as Noel stood up as well. "We'll talk again later."

* * *

"So what will we do about the Fal'cie Followers?" Noel asked as they sat with their dinner hours later. He watched as the silver haired man shook his head. "You're just going to leave it to the army?"

"Yes." Hope sighed tiredly and put down his fork. "Our focus is on the new cocoon... I was going to propose it earlier but now that this has happened, I'm going to talk to Director Nabaat about commissioning a team to go explore the 13th Ark... you and I will go with them."

"Is that wise? Throwing ourselves into danger so soon?" The hunter asked quietly as he tilted his head to the side.

"If we go... I can focus on my work but more so... We won't have to deal with this... And that cult," A sour look crossed the mage's face, "won't have access to me."

Noel nodded in understanding even if he felt nervous about the thought of going aboard an Ark. He knew about them from the 'education' that Caius had given him, filled with Pulse weaponry, they had been made for a war. Who's war, no one quite knew, but one nonetheless. He shifted his body slowly and then looked up.

"What are you hoping to find?" He finally asked.

"Something. Many of the mysteries that I've dealt with in my considerably odd life have involved the number 13 and I figure it must be no coincidence that the Ark that has appeared in this time is called the 13th. I'm hoping that it has something to connect all the pieces together."

"That's an interesting idea."

"Aren't you the least bit interested?" Hope picked up his fork again.

"I'm not exactly interested but I do want to know more."

"Neither of us was made to sit back Noel. I need to explore this as best I can."

"Sounds like a plan." The hunter shrugged as he turned his attention back this food.

* * *

"So why the 13th Ark?" Nabaat asked as he looked over the file in front of him. "It seems that it's already outlived it's usefulness by providing us with the ability to lift the new cocoon."

Hope sighed and looked down at the paperwork in front of him. At any moment he would also have to confront Ulman so that he could explain his proposal to her and try to secure the funding that he would need for such a project. Part of him was tempted to run it out of his own funds, he had enough money considering his 'clocked time' working for the Academy but to secure military aid he would need the approval of the government.

He found he terribly missed the old days when it was a matter of making a proposal and then securing a few believers on his team and heading off. This political maelstrom was honestly enough to make him want to tear his hair out and he was the one on the fast track. He pressed his head against his knuckles wishing that Noel was back in the room but he sighed and looked up.

"As I have always been honest with you Nabaat... I want to investigate the 13th Ark because it seems like the right thing to do. Although we have the information about the cores... and even have them now thanks to the efforts of Noel and Serah for my research there is only more questions."

"More questions?" The fatherly man lifted his eyes from his paper to examine him.

"You see... When I was 24 years old... I met Noel for the first time a man from the future. A future still not yet reached to be honest and one we have not yet changed. Cocoon will fall and the lands of Gran Pulse will be destroyed." The silver haired mage paused as he thought of the future that his lover had spoken of to him. "In 700AF the world will be near it's end. Nothing but sand and death in that time. Water sources nearly dried up... Noel as far as he could tell was the last person to exist. The end of humanity."

Nabaat took a deep breath. Hope knew that dual thoughts were waring with the older man's mind. The knowledge that the last human ever walked among them and the desire to study him but also the horror that in 200 years the end of humanity would be here. He was tempted to say something but stopped that thought wanting to wait and see what the director would say and how he would react, but Nabaat also knew that the director was a man who thought out what he would say.

"Was this man your inspiration to build this new cocoon?" He completely though Hope off guard by not asking the question he was prepared for. The other paused as he thought.

"In a way yes." He tilted his head back and stared at the sky. "The fall of cocoon will destroy the world. And I had thought it couldn't fall. The crystal pillar was created by the sacrifice of my friends... two brave women who are sitting in their now... dreaming."

"The two l'cie that made Ragnarok." He nodded. "And the pillar will fall?"

"In 100 years the pillar will break." Hope's tone took a somber tone. "The goal of my research is to secure a new home for humanity... but also to remove their crystals from the pillar if possible. They are still alive."

"You can't be serious." Nabaat looked up at him with wide eyes. "If the history books are correct they've been there alive for 400 years."

"Longer actually." Hope wiped at his eyes for tears that surprisingly weren't there. "Before that year... I don't even remember how long it took anymore... They had been in crystal since the War of Transgression. 500 or was it 700 years previously."

"That's such a long time." Nabaat's eyes turned to the window, the pillar in the distance. "What are you hoping to find on the Ark?"

"While the fall of the crystal pillar is a fixed point in time... There is a person who has interest in basically continuing the Fal'cie schemes." He crossed his arms. "He has plans to ensure that even with the new cocoon... that most of humanity dies for his own purposes."

"And what would those be?" Nabaat asked but Hope shook his head and sighed deeply.

"It's not that I don't trust you... but this person... He is beyond time. What his goals are we aren't sure. But we know that he wants to cause this catastrophic event. While we aren't sure of what his goal is. If the Cocoonian Fal'cie had been right about their goal...Such a massive amount of death will open the gate and bring back The Maker, but who knows really."

"Sorry I'm late." The door breezed open and shut behind Ulman as she walked in and sat down across from Hope. Her teacher like demeanor was always something that was rather comforting despite the obvious schemes that were brewing in her mind. As they prepared for the long meeting Hope found himself wishing that he hadn't sent Noel off to talk to General Yurg about the trip they wished to make.

* * *

Noel was glad to finally be done with his meeting with General Yurg. While he enjoyed spending time with the woman he was still insanely worried about Hope and how he was dealing after the attempted assassination attempt and all the other stuff that he had to deal with on top of it. He tapped the door and let it slide open, seeing the former director lying tiredly on his couch. He let the door slide shut and pressed the locking mechanism as the other had explained it to him.

The silver haired man rolled over and looked at him. He looked tired for lack of anything else to say. A deep kind of tiredness that Noel had recognized from members of his tribe back at the end of days. He approached the other and knelt down beside him and took his hand.

"Hey." The hunter whispered quietly and stroked his cheek. "How are you?"

"Tired." The older man replied as he leaned into the touch. "What did Yurg have to say?"

Noel groaned, not wanting to go there just yet. But the other was waiting expectantly and he gave in. "She thinks it's a good idea. Gets you out of the way, allows time for investigation and also, she said she was interested in their defense system as a way to make an outer defense for the cocoon project if things end up as bad as they think."

"Well that sounds all good." Hope remarked as he closed his eyes. "How many troops are we cleared to take?"

"She and I discussed it for a while and positioning considering the information you gave us about the 5th Ark and decided on 20 to make a base camp and then excursions can be made from there."

"That's a bad idea. And I distinctly remember about asking for only 6 Guardian Corps."

"If we really plan to be there for a long time then we need to be able to combat anything that we find. This isn't 6 l'cie anymore. We need to do things as if we are regular old humans." Noel pointed out quietly.

"You and I aren't normal. I am a powerful mage and you are chosen by Etro. We don't need that many men, let alone a base camp!" Hope sat up and glared at him. "I will go and talk to Yurg myself."

"No you won't." Noel put his hand out. "Yes, we are stronger then them by virtue of fate and the blessings of Etro but what is the point of making this harder then we need it to be. We aren't going there to train and fight our way through. We are going there to study. So take the 20 damn men and maybe a scientist or two."

"You don't get it!" Hope blasted as he shoved Noel's arm aside and headed to the door.

"Then explain it to me. I'm not telling you to lug 20 men through the Ark on your back!" Heatedly angry now, Noel had started to talk with his hands as well, struggling to make a point that his partner was clearly ignoring. "They are just going to make a base camp so that we have a protected place to return to. Is that so wrong?"

"6 men can do that just fine!" Hope shouted as he turned around, a high flush to his own cheeks in anger.

"Not if these monsters are as strong as you think they will be Hope. Talk to me. What's wrong?" Noel bit down on his anger, knowing that it could explode at any minute and tried to impress upon Hope that he just wanted to understand.

"...I just... Please don't make me kill anymore people!" Hope's face contorted in pain as he covered his eyes. "That many people increases the chance of the Fal'cie Followers infiltrating the group. I can't-I don't want to kill another person ever again."

"Hope." Noel approached him carefully and enfolded him into his arms. He didn't know what to say at first. Though it was a distinction that he didn't often make, Noel didn't have a lot of blood on his hands. Well human blood when he thought about it. Trained to be a hunter that was what he did. And even though most of his travels with Serah the closest he'd gotten to people were mostly cieth and well... Caius though he'd never kill the other man if he had any say in it.

In fact as he thought about it he was pretty sure that he'd never killed another person. But if what he'd sort of learned from history was correct. For Hope that was very, very different. He had taken a journey, an impossible quest that had pitted him mostly against people. And while there were monsters to kill in the end...

There had been soldiers and scared citizens. People with families. People with names and homes and somewhere, someplace a person wasn't returning home. Just like Hope's own mother. He hadn't taken the time to think about such things. Although... Alyssa's parting words must have wounded him so much as well. To Hope it probably felt like he had killed her twice.

"I know that you don't want others to get hurt." The dark haired man stated quietly as he pulled back and took Hope's hands. Those hands were soft and pale mostly because the scientist had worn gloves for most of the hard work that he'd done. Especially when his primary weapons were magic and a boomerang. "A person like you... I don't know what to say."

The mage's eyes were red from unshed tears, a face that Noel had unfortunately become a bit familiar with. Wanting to hid and cry, but more determined to do what needed to be done. A look that had probably been learned during his time as a l'cie. Hope looked down at their intertwined hands. Pale and tan mixed together. In many ways he was much softer then Noel... really then many of the people that he considered friends and family.

"I thought... that if we took six we could leave them on deck. The monsters... Pulse Automata for the most part... might be too strong or falling apart." He swallowed hard as he looked away from the other.

"I'm here with you." Noel leaned forward and kissed his temple. "I won't leave you. I..."

Hope cut him off with a shake of the head. He pressed a quick kiss to Noel's mouth and smiled thinly. The silence that slowly fell down between them was comfortable if not sad. Noel pulled Hope close and tucked his head under his chin. How do you console someone about something that wasn't going to change? As long as the Fal'cie Followers were determined to kill Hope, more people would die.

* * *

Noel set his hands on Hope's shoulders and massaged gently as he looked into his partner's eyes. All the preparation that had been going into getting ready for their excursion trip to the 13th Ark had made both of them jittery and nervous. They had fought over the size of the team and if other scientists should even go. Hell, they had fought about Hope's ability to fight. But Noel didn't want the other to think about that anymore.

He smiled thinly and softly whispered an apology. Hope shook his head and reached his hand up to cup the other's face and pressed their lips together. This soft quiet moment alone was something they both sorely needed. The soft kiss turned passionate as Hope slid his tongue against Noel's lips to gain entrance. The hunter took the hint and pulled him forward to curl close and kiss deeper.

"Bed." Hope stated in his best stern voice, the hunter laughed and Hope dug his fingers into the taller man's shoulders. "Hey, who's the leader here?" He asked teasingly.

"Exactly." Noel replied as he pushed Hope backwards to fall onto the bed. "You should know by now, that as your protector... I only follow the orders I deem necessary."

"I don't think that's how it works." Hope stated as he lifted himself up onto his elbows and smiled gently. The mage spread his legs and encouraged Noel down on top of him. "It's been a long time... I'm not I'm not sure I want to."

"Whatever you want to do." Noel stated as he took off his shirt before kneeling between his legs. "Boss." He added sarcastically.

Green eyes brightened considerably and he smacked the taller man's hip roughly. Noel whined lightly, Hope hit far harder then he thought. He started to pull back but the mage sat up and pulled him back. "You told me you didn't have any experience... Have you changed that?"

"Ew Hope... By the time I was old enough for such things there was only Caius and Yuel." He shook his head as his soon to be lover smiled mischievously.

"I don't know... The way you talk about Yuel-"

"That's my little sister and if you keep this up..." Noel trailed off mock threateningly.

Hope laughed and pulled Noel as he laid back down, causing the younger man to lay down on top of him. Noel stared down at Hope in wonder, it felt like they fit together like this and he stared into chrysoprase eyes as the other smiled encouragingly. He moved his hands up to bury fingers into silver hair as he lowered to press their mouths together.

As the soft kiss started hands pressed on his hips, pushing him down into the cradle of the older man's body. With their hips aligned, Noel couldn't suppress the gasp when their hips fit together. Hope rocked up against him and he groaned into his mouth, the answering pant against his lips sent tremors through him that echoed through the other man. Having never experienced such a level of intimacy Noel wasn't really sure that he knew what to do.

The hunter slowly pulled back from the kiss and stared down at the older man. He found that his lover looked all too content at being tangled up with him and felt a smile tugging at his own lips. He leaned down at pressed a soft kiss against the corner of his lips. Hope laughed softly and slid his hands up to press on Noel's shoulder blades.

"I love you." The soft words sent a trill of happiness through him and he leaned down to kiss the other harshly. Hope gasped into the kiss and clutched at Noel tighter. It was obvious they wouldn't do much more tonight and the mage found that this was enough as he closed his eyes and sunk into bliss.


	6. Chapter 5

Noel wasn't sure what he was expecting when they set out for the 13th Ark. Certainly he was expecting danger and to encouter what may or may not be an ancient battalion that was determined to kill anything that crossed it. Or at least just choose to destroy whatever it could. Shifting his grip on his swords as they stood on the wind swept landing platform with nothing attacking but certainly no place to set up a base. Hope seemed fairly certain that the outside would be safe simply because Arks were storage facilities. Either l'cie training grounds or held over armories filled with machines made for some kind of battle in the future that the gods had prepared for.

The question was: what was that supposed battle? The gods were gone if they ever existed and Etro most certainly wasn't going to provide answers considering her ways of going about protecting mankind. Still he felt that everything was utterly ridiculous as the advance force of their group entered the Ark. Hope's face was sour as he watched them go, scouts.

He could tell the other was waiting for problems to happen. Mostly though, there was no problems to be had. They managed to get to a plateau that was safe enough to set up camp and Noel couldn't help but be annoyed at how boring entire first day was. He moved into the main tent. Hope was there, sitting at a portable holoscreen waiting for the actual data center to be set up. Looking into his private files and journals about his time as a l'cie. The older man had informed him that there were two copies: the technical one that he used for work and the private one, filled with his emotions.

The mage looked up at him with a small smile. "You were right. The larger team really is a better idea. Mostly considering that I get to spend less time fighting and more time researching." A deep sigh left the scientists mouth. "There is a place that his been sectioned out in for private conversation and I would like to talk to you there later about some things. I have a few questions."

"About what?" Noel asked as he dropped down across from him. They were the only ones in the research tent right now but it was still loud as tents and other things were being set up. He tilted his head up and looked at the ceiling.

"I want to talk to you about Serah and Yeul. Your past." Hope murmured quietly. "I want to know more about you... and..." He trailed off but Noel knew what he meant. There was much that they hadn't actually told the Academy about Noel's role in time traveling. Especially the more mystical parts of it considering that it could cause problems that Hope didn't want to face.

Such as someone wanting to study the other. Noel nodded in understanding as he stood up and heading for the door. "I want to take a look at the perimeter again. Just hit me up when you want to talk." He called over his shoulder as he waved his hand dismissively.

After the hunter left the tent, Hope put aside the tablet and leaned forward into his arms. He wanted to call Noel back and have the younger man put his arms around him. He closed his eyes tightly and called up the image of his mother and then Lightening and everyone else who meant something to him, until finally Noel. His sweet lover. Even though he knew that they would have practically no private time here he couldn't keep his mind from wandering.

"Excuse me Lead Advisor." He turned to the door and smiled as he saw Captain Arcane approach. She was probably one of his favorite people from his time out in the field. Though he knew people commented on his joy of working with women in the military more then men was honestly from his time as a l'cie. Wanting a Lightning like companion instead of the stuffy and often overly strict or cocky men that reminded him of the people who chased him.

It was terribly problematic to have such an unconventional preference all things considered, but he was simply nostalgic for people like Lightening and occasionally with certain characteristics of the others. Not like Snow but, he had to admit that Noel had some terribly Snow like attributes. If better disguised by actually growing up unlike the nearly unbearable blond.

"'Dr. Estheim." Captain Arcane called again interrupting his musing. "I would like to talk to you."

"Oh." Hope shook himself lightly. "I'm sorry. What can I do for you?"

"We've gotten the entire area secure including the 'private area' you requested. It seems like this upper deck is probably an observation deck for the entire facility. I guess to watch as the l'cie were training?" She tilted her head to the side as she talked, a small datapad in her hand as she looked down at it and the current map they had of the place.

Captain Arcane was an unusual looking woman with long inky black hair. Her eyes were a bright purple and across her skin were an intriguing mix of darker Earthy skin and pale creamy skin. A skin condition that was common among her people. She had at one point probably been totally dark skinned as a child. Her weapon of choice though was a gunblade and that was what had made her one of Hope's favorite people of this time period.

"That would make sense. As you've probably noted in the datafile there were places in the 5th Ark that we were able to rest by virtue or design or simply age." He lifted up his own tablet and scrolled through to his own copy of the file. "We may have to move camp in a week when we have discovered this shaft's pattern of monsters. Many things here will be regenerating. And with the Pulse Automata as we destroy some... Newer ones maybe be built if this facility as resupply abilities."

"All this makes my head spin." Arcane grumped as she glared at him almost as if it were his fault. "Much more work then I thought I'd be doing. Babysitting you is usually a walk in the park."

"Well... I wouldn't want you to be getting too many paid vacations." Hope teased as he stood up. "I do believe that it's getting near dark and I'd like to talk to Noel privately before I turn in."

"I had assumed that a lover's talk could be made in your shared tent?" She asked a small teasing smirk on her face. Hope glared at her and said nothing as he left, her laughter following him out.

* * *

As the two stood in the quiet area. A place where no listening devices were aloud and no one was really close to the area, was perfect for the place that Hope wanted to talk. He sat on the ground uncaringly and leaned into Noel. He tilted his head down and stared at where Noel's hands were clasped around his waist.

"You told me that you know what Caius might be doing." He started quietly, knowing there was no better way to start this conversation. Noel nodded with a vaguely miserable face. He didn't like talking about Caius. There was beginning to be far too much bad blood between them and redeeming Caius seemed to be become less and less a priority to the hunter.

"He wants to kill the goddess... Kill Etro. Caius possesses the heart of chaos and to kill him is to complete his plan mostly. If Etro dies... no one collects souls." He leaned his head into Hope's. "But I know that he has a time in mind that he wants to die. I think it's when the pillar falls."

"Well in a way that would make sense." Hope replied quietly. "As Snow said, there are two fixed points in timeline. The fall of Cocoon and then when the crystal pillar collapses. Each time when the amount of souls plunging into the afterlife could literally overload Etro. What I'm assuming is... is that each event separately can wound but not kill Etro."

"Well that most certainly is terrifying."

"Yes, but it's also something easier to do in 500AF then before the fall. 6 l'cie with the power of Ragnarok and Caius wouldn't win nor achieve his aim and thus Etro is only wounded not dead. Any other fixed points in time do not offer a large enough loss of life at one time to do what he wishes. And if he paradoxes it into being, you and Serah would have unparadoxed it."

Noel laughed softly, he wasn't quite following everything that the older man was saying but he knew that Hope was relaxed enough with him to do a strange kind of stream of conscious speaking that the hunter found adorable, although sometimes hard to follow. He squeezed the other's waist gently and waited to see what else would fall out of his mouth.

"I think... What we need to do is find a way to contain the heart. In case we have no choice but to kill Caius we need to do it away from those pressure points and place it in the box for safe keeping."

"I guess but Caius steps into other time streams, outside of the true timeline to help make paradoxes. I feel like he could stop us." Noel replied and then he shook his head. "I think I've spent enough time thinking about that."

"One more thing though." Hope turned around and faced the hunter. He took Noel's hands in his and squeezed them tightly. "Caius is immortal... As you've said yourself he has lived through the true timeline since the first Yeul or close to it. I don't quite understand this idea of killing him."

"It's a trick." Noel stated softly, his face looked tired as he leaned back against the wall and stared up at the ceiling of the vast complex. "The only one that can kill Caius is me. Otherwise, he could have just killed himself and been done with it. If Caius doesn't have a successor he won't die. I told you about how he raised me. He raised me to take his place. He wanted to be done with it. And I couldn't do it. I couldn't defeat him. My... unwillingness to kill him..."

"You don't have to say anymore." Hope whispered as he cupped the brunet's cheeks as a few tears sliding down his cheeks. He pulled the other close, resting the taller man's head against his chest. Noel took a few shaky breaths as he clutched the other and then he spoke again once his shoulders shook a little less.

"If I kill him without the full willingness to take his place. Then everything falls apart. If I take on the heart of chaos then I... I'll be the one to watch Yeul die again and again. All I had wanted was to find my Yeul... To make her happy."

Hope didn't say anything. He felt a little guilty for asking his lover to bare his heart like that but he also felt that it was better that he had someone to talk to. He wondered idly if the hunter had told Serah. Often times he wondered what it was like to be Noel. To come from the end of humanity, to have lost so much. Hope had always had a sense of empathy for others that at times could be overwhelming and to truly think of how Noel could feel made his heart ache in a way it hadn't in a long time.

"I love you." The mage murmured as he kissed the top of Noel's head and closed his eyes. "And we'll figure this out."

Noel breathed in deeply Hope's smell as he thought about the older man's words as well as what he knew to be Caius' plan. Even though he knew Hope was trying to find another way it was obvious that his plan involved the hunter killing Caius to remove the heart. And could he do that? That was part of the idea, he had to tear his friend, mentor and in many ways parent's heart out. Part of him wanted to weep bitterly about it, but to do so would probably make things hurt more.

* * *

Morning or at least what was probably morning, Noel's internal clock was fine but being inside with no windows didn't help. Hope was still asleep on his arm and he knew that it was earlier then they had intended to get up. Sitting up slowly he stretched his arms about his head and listened to the sounds around him.

The low electrical hum was annoying but it thankfully didn't affect his hearing too badly. He didn't hear anything too strange. He tilted his head to the side as he was prone to do and then he heard what had most likely disturbed him. It was the sound of rickety armor. Probably a Pulse Automata moving around. They were all so old that the sound of metal grinding against metal commonly followed them. They were probably on the platform below as nothing was sent out here. And the guards would have alerted them.

"Noel?" Hope's voice shattered his concentration and he turned to look at the older man looking up at him sleep mused and heavy lidded.

"It's nothing... Scrap metal grinding my nerves." He laughed softly and pushed at his partner's shoulder so that he didn't get up. Hope's eyes slid back shut, not really awake. It always surprised him that Hope's reflexes could awaken one second and fall away the next. Although he guessed he could understand from what little he knew about his time as a l'cie. Hope's hand blindly reached out and grabbed Noel's pulling him back down.

"'m cold." The silver haired man mumbled as he closed his eyes and nearly falling asleep again.

Noel smiled indulgently as he laid back down and pulled the mage into the circle of his arms. What alarmed him was nearly forgotten when the wince of cold metal sounded louder then before. Not too long afterwards Captain Arcane's voice could be heard yelling at her underlings.

"I think what you heard wasn't an automata." Hope replied as he brushed the sleep from his eyes and stood up. At the good natured cursing that could be heard both of them realized that it must have been some of their own equipment rebelling instead of some kind of immediate danger. Noel nodded his agreement as he looked towards the flap that served as the interest to their temporary home.

"Do we need to go out there just yet?" Noel asked after a few moments once the cursing died down. He turned to his partner only to find Hope turning off the alarm and reaching for his over shirt.

"It was most likely something of ours, which means Arcane is about to come in here and cuss at us next." The silver haired man murmured as he got dressed. Noel nodded as he reached for his own shirt.

The hunter had to admit as he watched his partner get dressed and comb his ridiculous bed head away that his 'uniform' for being out in the field was much better then his Academy uniform. Use to the fancy jacket with buttons upon buttons and more white then such dirty work desired. He found that he was very pleased with the white undershirt, black body armor shirt with a dingy old jacket that must have been very well loved. Hope had just given up on his hair when the flap moved and Arcane entered and dropped down in the 'sitting area' with a large canister that Noel couldn't decide if it was full of coffee or booze.

"Hell's bells and other ills." She muttered as she wrestled it open. "Those brutes out there have no respect for science."

Hope let out a good nature laugh as he sat back down next to Noel and leaned back on his hands. He probably should have explained to Noel about the type of person Arcane was, but he was sure the two would get along fine. He waited for her to speak again, but she currently drinking her coffee as quickly as she could with it probably being brought directly from the caf.

"They broke the decoder." She finally spoke. "Apparently one of the newbies wanted to see what it would translate the old Pulsian script into... And...promptly busted the shit out it when it didn't work quickly enough." She added a few more choice words under her breath..

"Don't worry." Hope shrugged his shoulders. "I can probably fix it. I'll take a look at it before the afternoon excursion."

She nodded and turned to look at the still silent hunter. Noel was actually not looking at either of him. His mind, not really there at the moment. He had tuned out their conversation for the sake of listening to the sounds of the camp waking up. And also, for the general sounds of the Ark. She was about to say something but Hope raised his hand and she nodded and got up to leave.

Hope lowered his hand onto Noel's and watched as the hunter closed his hand over his and returned to stillness. It still jarred him a bit, to see Noel fall so still, but it was also a bit comforting. Noel was listening, listening to everything that a human's limited ears could pick up. And well, probably a bit more then others could hear in this time, considering what 700AF would have looked like. He imagined that the hunter was listening to his breath, maybe even his very heartbeat.

In a way, it made Noel seem vulnerable and Hope wanted to protect the side of him that required quiet and stillness. Not use to such a lack of movement, the older man pulled away after a few moments and got up to go check the equipment before someone came to retrieve him and jarred the other out of his morning routine.

The air inside the Ark wasn't as stale as Hope had thought it would be. Some kind of ventilation system ensuring that fresh air was constantly pumped in, probably for some kind of bioengineered creatures that they had yet to see. He approached Captain Arcane where she was sitting against the main computer of the command center.

"How bad does it look?" He asked as he looked over at the smaller decoding machine that was roughly as tall as Hope's hip.

"Welp, I don't know too much about how these things are made." She scratched the side of her nose. "I just know that the receptors are blown."

Hope grumbled in good nature before he walked over to the device and settled down in front of it. Decoder was kind of a short hand name for the machine as it often did much more then that. It took pictures of text, analyzed it, and decoded it. But, it also did the same things for other types of objects such as flesh, stone, etc. Hope looked around to make sure that no one was watching him too closely before he grabbed his tool kit and with one hand dug around in the box will he placed the other on the machine.

Instantly, in a way that he still didn't quite have the words to explain that machine became 'alive to him.' He listened to it as he learned what wires had been broken and relays snapped. He grabbed the proper tools and began to open the machine up. Going where he was directed with images and mental suggestions. Fixing the damage and soothing the machine's 'worries' as he went. It took him a little over twenty minutes for the primary fixes. Later he would have to go and get the new parts that it required later.

Once down with his assurances to the machine that it would be better he set his tools down and stretched his arms up above his head. Arcane was gone now, probably to start laying out orders for the afternoon so that the excursion team could get underway. He pushed himself into a standing position and looked around for the next task he might need to complete before he left. Finding nothing too emergent, he headed towards the 'stockhouse' a tent full of spare parts and gear they might need and placed the order for the parts he needed to finish the decoder.

"Will it be all right Director to go without the decoder?" Sturk, the man in charge of parts asked as he looked down at the list he was writing. "This thing won't be up and running without some of this."

"And that's fine. I can mark places on the map to return to with the decoder. Today we will probably be too busy fighting and doing cartography anyways." Hope replied as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, seriously...do you really think that this'll help with the new Cocoon?" Sturk asked as he laid a heavy arm on the counter. "I've heard that this is just a way to keep you hidden away from those terrorists."

"It will help." Hope replied firmly. "This Ark...would have been built before the original cocoon or there abouts. A form of technology that has no need of Fal'cie to stay afloat much like the other gravitation cores. But also, if the mythology is right, this is made to withstand a war of the gods. This can help us figure out how to build the outer walls for optimal protection. After all... We don't want to fully copy Cocoon's blueprints. That was made to fall and provide the optimal amount of death."

Sturk shuddered at the thought, but nodded his understanding. "Sometimes I think we forget that you have some serious interest in never relying on crap like that again."

"You couldn't be more correct." Hope smile bitterly before he turned to head towards the door. "If you can get those ready for me by the end of the afternoon excursion I'd be grateful."

"Yessir!" Sturk saluted as the senior official left.

* * *

According to what Hope had written about the 5th Ark hundreds of years ago, there would be separate compartments filled with different types of living war machines. While there was no surety of what a normal entrance would look like, Hope and the other l'cie had been whisked there by Barthandulus' whim. The exploration team consisted of five people. Arcane, two grunts, Noel and Hope. Noel wasn't too sure of going out with such a small team, but the scientist had pointed out that most areas would be hallways or train transports. Not really big enough for a large mobile team.

"It looks more like ruins." Arcane commented as they left the central area that consisted of their base. The morning crew had cleaned out most of the monsters and jammed the replicators to make things easier. Things Hope wished they could have done during his original experiences with Arks.

"In a way... I guess they are ruins." Hope shrugged. "Filled with Pulsian tech as well as whatever else the Fal'cie put into them... Somewhere though... The thing that we need should be inside the 'city core'."

"City core?" Asher, a grunt asked as he looked over. "Just what are you expecting to find here?"

"Inside the 5th Ark, a mobile artillery that I believe was air based much like this one had been stored below Eden durning the War of Transgression. We... We exited over the ruins of a city. I assuming an ancient city populated by people used to build some of their machines."

"You think that human societies once lived here?" Arcane asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe? According to Fang and Vanille though, during the War... they wouldn't have had access to them. They were for something bigger."

A silence fell across the group at that and they walked quietly ahead. Noel kept his ears open. He could hear distant cries of animals and the occasion grinding of machinery. Hope looked up at Noel who had taken point. He looked down at his boomerang in hand and sighed softly. What he wanted to find here, what he hoped was here was a risk. And also against what he wanted to do, but he needed help and Fal'cie tech seemed to be the only way he could find a way to save Noel.

Most of the walls were a rusty color and occasionally broken panels hanging opened revealed relatively sophisticated machinery for what it was worth. Finally they reached a computer terminal that looked older then the earth. At least to Noel.

"Probably can't work that shit without the decoder." Hutch grumbled as Hope approached it.

"I have a good understanding of old tech. Just wait a moment." Hope replied as he settled his hands onto the old terminal. It had a small screen and a full keyboard as he looked over it with his hands still on it. He listened carefully, tuning into the machine as he did with the things he worked with on at the academy. Instantly a map was revealed on the screen and he accessed the panels as he listened to what little the machine could give him. "I can get a map of the place... but I'm not sure it's safe to access anything else."

"A map is mostly what we need." Arcane replied as she leaned against a wall. "It's only day one so no hurry."

Noel nodded his agreement and then went still. "What kind of animals can we expect again in this place?"

"Mostly Pulse Automata. And pretty much anything that you can find in the Mah'habara Subterra. Although they probably would be sightly different." Arcane replied.

"...You can also find battle ready monsters." Hope replied as he pulled his hands off the computer and assumed a battle stance. "Something that quiet... I'm thinking a behemoth hybrid or a-"

"SHIELD LIZARD!" Noel cried as he rolled to the side from the thundering lizard.

The lizard had it's shield pulled back as it launched at him again and knocked in a wall. The floor was too heavy for the beast as it formed it's shield.

Arcane released a battle cry as she launched at the creature, craving off scales from the beast as Hope stepped backwards and took a calm stance. Noel dived between the mage and the lizard, brandishing his larger sword as a shield as he watched Arcane manage to cleave off another section of scales as the two grunts took different sides, aiming their guns to shoot at it's legs to try and put it off balance.

"Thunder." Hope spoke calmly, lightening hissing through the air past Noel's left side.

The hunter took off after the bolt watching as it shoved the creature up in the air and slashed at it's soft underbelly. Another command from the mage and fire was lighting up the creature's side keeping it pushed back before an aero knocked the creature to the left as the the hunter jumped back. As he rolled back the ground gave a sickening lurch.

"The beast is too heavy. Retreat." Hope called as he backed up. "I can keep it back with magic, report to my position."

Arcane was the first to come back, cleaving off part of the beast's arm as she passed by it, all swift reflexes. "That should slow it down." She said as she rested in a low battle stance watching as the two grunts pulled back firing rounds as they went. Noel set to take the rear. He paused as he transformed his swords into a spear for a quick exit.

"Hope, aero." He called as he prepared to run. The magic soared past the hunter as he slammed the spear into the beasts stomach using it as a push off point. As he launched back towards the group, the creatures arm caught his leg sending him flying into a wall.

A low grunt left the hunter as he sunk down the wall into a slumped position the wind knocked out of him. He pushed himself up quickly but it was too late as the floor began to give under the giant lizard. Arcane put out her hand as the floor gave in with a metallic whine dragging down monster and man alike. Once it was over she looked back at the two grunts and Hope.

"You have the map right? What's another way down?" She asked quickly but Hope shook his head.

"It's not that deep of a drop. If he's alive that monster most likely is and we don't have time." The scientist replied as he approached the sinkhole. "This places is not an endless well of canyon sized rooms. More like a complex maze from what the map looked like. I'll go down and heal him and bring him back up."

"I'm not sure that's safe." Arcane muttered quietly. "I would feel better if one of them or even I went."

"Who's good enough here at magic to get him up?" Hope bit back as he turned from the chasm. "Look, I'm not trying to undermine you but I'm point for mage here. We didn't bring anyone else because we weren't expecting to encounter anything that would move from it's position. It'll take too long to go get another mage and if he's down there's no way to carry him back. So lower me down and if it's more then we can handle at the very least I can get him up and we can escape."

Arcane looked away angrily but motioned for Asher to latch Hope up and lower him down. She knew that he had more reason to go down then the 'common sense reasons' that he set up. She knew that it was because his boyfriend was down there and worst, she knew that should would do the same thing. Hope gave her a thankful nod as he shrugged off his jacket and secured the belt and line around his waist. He approached the hole and turned.

"When we're ready to go I'll give a tug." He said as he waved the second belt at him. "It shouldn't take too long."

And then he turned and reaching the wall where Noel felled he examined the ground and noticed that there were a few torn notches. Finding nothing else that he could use he tightened his gloves and began to slide down and moved his hands to catch the grooves to slow his descent. When he arrived down to the lower level he saw that the shield lizard was definitely not a problem. Impaled in random places by the debris that fell before it. He looked around the dank room. It was small with a door, most likely some kind of storage room. He keep his alert, spell on the edge of his lips until he saw Noel's spear.

Forgetting himself for a second he shrugged off the belt and ran for the spear. Picking it up, he noticed that just beyond another section of rubble sat Noel, looking worse for wear. He approached the man quickly and rolled him over.

"Fuck that hurts." Noel groaned with a rare sour disposition.

"What hurts?" Hope asked as he pressed his hands gently against Noel arms and chest.

"My leg got hit pretty hard on the way down. Not broken I think." The hunter groaned and Hope pulled him up against his chest. The silver haired man kissed his partner roughly and sighed deeply.

"Don't you scare me like that again... asshole." Hope cursed and kissed him again.

Noel chuckled lightly against his lips. "I think I still win for the greatest scare after carrying around your unconscious body."

"I can even the odds by knocking you out?" Hope replied with a sly grin as he moved a hand lowly down his lover's body before reaching his leg and casting a quick cure.

"It's going to take more then that to get me up." Noel replied with a suggestive smile. The dark haired man pressed up against his lover with slightly renewed mobility. Hope smacked his hurt leg lightly before pressing more healing magic into him

"Maybe later." Hope spoke softly and with promise. "Come on."

Getting back to the line was slow going. Too afraid to press to much healing power into the leg without checking and cleaning it. Hope used one last healing spell to get the other up and moving. Once they got to the line, Hope secured himself into the one on the line and put the other on Noel.

"Wrap your arms around me so this will go easier." He murmured as he reached a hand up and tugged three strong times. Noel smiled and practically snuggled into him. The scientist laughed as he wrapped an arm around him.

Once they were up Noel was forced onto a stretcher by Arcane that Asher and Hutch carried. She glowered at Hope as they began to walk back, taking rear as Hope was forced to take point. Going back to camp was silent with very few monster attacks. Noel felt ridiculous lying on the stretcher but Arcane was having no buts about anything. Luckily they were only about an hour away from camp. Once the reached it, managing to skirt certain monster grounds courtesy of the map that Hope had gotten.

Back at camp, Noel was taken to the med tent and Hope went to the research tent to upload the map into the system to mark their plan. As he analyzed the data he waited for Arcane and the blow up that he knew was coming. When the flap opened and she walked in and sat down he knew that everyone in camp would probably hear everything she had to say by the end of it.

"I want to start out with one question." Arcane murmured calmly. "Who controls this mission?"

"Lydia." Hope started breaking out of military rigor to talk to her, knowing it was the best way to appeal to her. He had once tried to talk to her the way he talked to Lightning and found that that didn't work at all. "I'm not here to be babysat. I am a capable fighter."

"YOU ARE THE SCIENTIST THAT IS HERE TO BE PROTECTED!" She growled as she slammed her hands on the the table. "You are expected to follow my orders and keep yourself safe."

"Yes, let's do that. Put the most capable mage in the entire camp on the sidelines because of the rules of the government. I am not just a scientist. I am a combat specialist and you know this. Unless you plan to put me on the medical list and keep me from going out into the field you will have to deal with the fact that I am on the team."

"Don't you try to quote code at me! I don't care if you are couching it in friendly speech. You are my charge! Going alone is against the rules too!"

"Who was the most capable person to get someone up and moving? What would have happened if you had sent Asher or Hutch down there and the shield lizard was still alive? Pulled him back up and leave Noel to fight alone. Only me and Boak are capable of battle and healing magic. Even if we equip manadrives-"

"I know, I know... They aren't sufficient. They can only control one vector of magic." She turned her head away and sighed deeply. "I don't know why I try when you're fool head will do anything it wants."

"Lydia Arcane." Hope shook his head with a smile. "I was a l'cie once... I'm the last person here you need to worry about. I feel like I tell you that a least ten times every mission we have together."

She shrugged idly and stood up. "I give... for now."

"Arcane... I would have gone down for anyone... Not just Noel." He felt the need to add that one, worried that she thought he was just randomly risking himself without prior thought of what it meant.

"I know that... You're the kindest person I've ever met Hope Estheim. Never change." She let a heavy hand drop on his shoulder and turned to head out. "I think that boy's almost finished up. So you two can get back to NOT giving me gray hairs if you please."


	7. Chapter 6

"Jeez." Noel groaned as he lowered himself to the mat and closed his eyes. While not broken in any places he was deeply bruised from his fall and had to endure more healing potions and spells then he'd ever wanted to. Enough to get him back up to snuff but healing required time to fully work. He needed a good night's rest or two to give his body time to move through the accelerated healing process. At least the ugly purple and yellow marks were gone. He closed his eyes and took as deep a breath as he could.

"Hey." Hope called as he entered the tent and sat down next to Noel. It was late now, without sunlight really filtering in but the clocks said that it was around 11 at night. Noel grumbled and Hope laughed softly as he moved past his own sleeping bag to approach the hunter. He kicked off his boots and slid under the bed roll and squeezed into the small space.

"Hey! You have your own." The hunter grouched as he was tugged close, half onto the mage.

"You say this to the person who's going to make you feel better." Hope let out a teasingly long suffering sigh. "Relax." Hands massaged Noel's shoulders and the other sighed softly at the gentle touch.

Hope smiled at the way the hunter relaxed into him, his head lying on the pillow and his shoulder resting over the smaller man. He kept his arms around the hunter working his way gently down his back before he shifted them gently so that the taller man was on his back with Hope on top. He laid his hands gently across the younger man's chest and down across muscled abs. Noel opened his eyes and looked up at Hope as a cool breeze settled between them as Hope sat up.

Hope gave a reassuring smile as he slowly untied the string on his pants and slowly eased them down. He smiled fondly at the sight of skin revealed watching as Noel blushed and looked away. They had yet to be fully naked before each other. Seeing the other's nervousness, Hope paused and grasped thin fingers under his own shirt and took off the tank top before returning to his exploration. Noel's hands came up immediately to touch the silver haired man's strong arms.

"You do realize that we're not exactly alone." Noel whispered and Hope laughed softly as he pulled the younger man's pants down around his hips before settling down beside Noel and curled up against the other.

"Then I guess you have to be quiet." Hope's smile was almost devious as he slid his hand back down Noel's body to rest his hand on erect flesh before he paused as Noel tensed up. "You okay? I just wanted to take your mind off the pain a bit."

"Fine." Noel breathed slowly through his nose. "Just... Never had someone else... there you know?" Noel grabbed for Hope's sleeping bag and pulled it over them. Hope laughed and allowed the other to hide them almost fully under the sleeping bag shuffling around until Noel's bag was laid out and Hope's was over them like a blanket. Hope then pulled Noel back to him and took him back in hand.

"Is that better?" He asked quietly into the other's ear. "It's just you and me... Relax."

Noel tried to take a deep breath but Hope's hand was moving and he couldn't help the groan that left his lips. The silver haired man made some sort of soft noise in response and Noel moved closer, hissing in pain. Hope pushed him back down and moved over him more. Careful not to press to hard as he shifted his position. He licked the corner of Noel's mouth and murmured softly into his ear.

"Shhh. I'm right here. I've got you." Hope teasingly licked Noel's ear hearing the hunter gasp and tremble. Even though he couldn't see it, he knew that a red blush was spreading across his cheeks. The hunter both embarrassed and intrigued. "Just relax."

Noel's hands groped at the smaller man as he bit his own lips. Still somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware that they were not alone. Just beyond the little blanket cocoon that they had made were the thin 'walls' of the tent and the rest of the base camp. He pressed his face into silver hair as he let out a shaky moan in orgasm.

"That's it... relax." Hope murmured gently and kissed Noel's mouth slowly. As the other came down from his high, Hope threw back the covers a bit and grabbed a towel and wiped his hands off. He cleaned Noel up a bit and pulled his pants back up as the hunter stared at him drowsily. "I was hoping that would take your mind off the pain. Seems like it did more then that." He teased.

"Com'ere." Noel mumbled sleepily.

Hope chuckled before he moved and slid up against his lover and slowly pulled the blankets back up. Noel fumbled against him weakly, barely awake between the medicines he'd taken and his orgasm. The smaller man moved his lover's hands around his waist and laid his head on his chest. Noel mustered up to make some kind of protest. He could feel Hope half hard against his thigh but the other pressed down on his arm.

"Not right now." Hope murmured against his chest. "Just rest now."

* * *

While not having set a morning routine of any sort in the one or two days that they'd been in the camp. Hope was not expecting the morning he got. He was still curled up into the hunter. Who was an early riser. The arms wound around him and had pushed his clothes mostly off. The younger man kissed his forehead and then pulled his head up. Hope stared up at him and then a kiss was pressed to his lips.

"Can I?" Noel mumbled against his lips hands sliding up and down Hope's sides. Hope trembled at the thought but pushed back to look at the clock. It was ungodly early. Noel was always up at dawn regardless. And Hope really didn't want to explore the physical parts of their relationship now. He was about to say 'no' but Noel was looking at him with eyes fulling of pleading and promise. His right hand moving closer towards the goal.

"I should say no." He whispered against Noel's mouth. "We'll have plenty of time for this when we get back."

The pout that Noel gave him was impressive to say the least. The other carefully rolled them over, he must have still been sore. After a moment of confusion and tangled legs as they attempted to fit together, Hope made the mistake of opening his legs and allowing the other to settle there, hardness against hardness. Hope wrapped his arms around Noel and after a moment of movement clutched the younger's shoulders.

"Take control Noel." He whispered as he attacked the other for another kiss. "It's your turn."

The other made an affirmative noise, and Hope had to quell down the urge to take control of the situation. It was in his nature now, to lead or at the very least subtly lead. But the other part of him knew that learning was best done via self exploration. And the thought of Noel exploring his body sent a wide range of shivers down down the silver haired man's body. It took a second or two for Noel to start to move.

Hands splayed on Hope's shoulders before they moved down his body brushing over different spots. Finding the smaller man's nipples he stroked them gently. And then leaned down to kiss them as well. Hope moaned lowly and clutched at Noel's shoulders. It was a sensitive spot for him and there were many more for the other to find. It increased Hope's excitement, he wanted to do the same for Noel but he would have to wait until Noel wasn't in pain anymore.

And then the thoughts flew out of his head when Noel decided to suck on one of his small nipples. He moaned quietly and pressed on the taller man's head. Hands slid down and grabbed his hips and moved him roughly against the firm body above him and Hope threw his head back gasping. He didn't want to make too much noise.

It didn't take Noel long to get the rest of their clothes off and skin on skin contact was threatening to be Hope's undoing. If Noel didn't start to do something soon he would take control and get things moving in the direction he wanted it to. The hunter smiled at his obvious discomfort and crash their hips together again. Hope groaned and grasped ahold of Noel's hips. He couldn't help himself anymore. He guided the hunter into a stead rhythm, letting out a satisfied groan as the hunter got the hang of it and took over again.

"Not... not enough." Hope gasped as he moved against the other and Noel grinned at him again before a devious look crossed his face. Slightly afraid, Hope wasn't prepared for the hunter to shift, resting on his forearm by the silver haired man's head and worming his free hand between their bodies. It wasn't easy for the hunter to get a grasp on both of them, let alone develop a rhythm. But it was more then enough considering how close they both were.

When orgasm did hit, Hope couldn't keep the soft whine as quiet as he would have liked it, the flush of arousal quickly turning to embarrassment even as Noel's strong arms cradled him as the younger man fell into his own orgasm pushing against him roughly. The groan against his shoulder was rough and sent warmth through his lower belly even though it was impossible to get another erection so fast. He pulled Noel down against his chest, unmindful of the mess between them. At least for now. Even though nothing bad had happened Hope felt that he needed the reassurance that being held by Noel could give him.

* * *

Hope stretched his arms up above his head as he sat tiredly in the central tent that served as the command center. The morning exploration team had come back with no real trouble. Managing to find the pen where the Shield Lizards were and blocked off the eroded part that allowed them to escape into the hallways. It was more then he'd thought they'd get as well as the data that they'd filled the decoder with. The silver haired man pressed his hands to his forehead and closed his eyes. Most of the data that had been collected were maintenance codes, map alignments and notes of the design. Nothing on the city core.

In the 5th Ark they hadn't gone to the city core at all. So it wasn't like he really knew what he was looking for. But there had to be something. Some kind of blueprint on how the Fal'cie made it. If it all was built through sheer imagination and even Cocoon had had plans and details that he'd been able to capture to help build the new one. He was screwed. He need something, anything that would allow him to help Noel.

The mage searched deep inside his thoughts. What was it that he wanted to do. Make the new ark-like cocoon to store all of humanity for when the crystal pillar shattered. A plan that was going along fine and seemed to be set up to work perfectly as long as they kept Caius from interfering. A project that would still take a least another 100 years to finish. And then stop Caius, which involved somehow stopping him, trapping him and/or removing his heart.

Two things that would pain Noel.

And then there was why he'd wanted to come to the 13th Ark. He had made his proposal based on finding out more information about the Arks to help with building the new cocoon's outer shell. But what he really wanted, why he was here had more to do with Noel then anything else. The enclosure technology of an Ark was meant the withstand the end of the world. Probably even meant to travel to new worlds. It was the perfect thing to seal away Caius. But the mysteries within the Ark would also hold more information about l'cie. About why this cataclysm was so important that everything seemed to be working for it. The Fal'cie of Cocoon, Caius and even Noel who Caius was trying to get to unleash chaos on the world.

He knew that this wasn't Noel's endgame. But he also knew the more that changed in the past, the more the other forgot. Even now, as Serah and Snow worked their way through the timeline, trying to undo the paradox that made Serah a Time Maiden was still affecting his memory. But his memory of the future. Not now. The 18 years that he'd lived in the future were slowly eroding. And he could tell even if the other was afraid to admit it or talk about. He could tell as Noel's mannerisms changed.

His quiet pauses in morning and sometimes at other times during the day that Hope had once thought was just the hunter listening to the world. He wondered if the other was also gathering himself. Struggling to remembered things that were important to him. There was a wealth of knowledge in Noel. History lessons that spanned nearly all of history as well as fighting and whatnot. All to replace Caius. And considering how powerful Caius' magic was. Hope feared that it was only Noel's personal memories being affected.

All the better to make him forget his reasonings for not trying to kill Caius. To become what Caius wanted him to be. So focused on his goal, Caius had probably forgotten his own personal past, a time before he'd been the undying guardian. Or at least a time before he'd lost his sense of sanity. At least that's what Hope thought. And he didn't want to watch Noel go down that path.

Although there was another direction that things could take. While not a worst case scenario it was also unpleasant to Hope. After all, who knows exactly what Noel had forgotten about his tribe, his home, and the relationships therein. Hope had a hunch that what Noel felt for Yeul was more then platonic even if still a rather childish type of love. And the mage found that he didn't want to test that bond. Losing Yeul had been what had sent Noel traveling through time, but was it because he lost his last friend and family? Or was it because of love in a way that Hope wouldn't be able to touch?

And that was a test Hope didn't want. He didn't know if he had the strength to let Noel go now that he had him. Especially if it was to someone who didn't exist yet. Although when he thought about what Noel was going through to reunite with the other, he knew he had no chance even if it was just friendship. Part of his goal was to change time to what they thought it should be. And if the logical side of him won, it meant that Noel would go to 700AF to be with Yeul and Hope...

He would be alone again. As much as he'd come to rely on Nabaat, Arcane, Yurg and a whole host of other people in this timeline. They were acquaintances, friends at best. He couldn't lose Noel if he didn't gain back Light and the others. And even then he didn't know if his heart had room for two such big holes. The one from his mother was already large and at times horribly painful, even now. The one from his friends had been healing at the thought of being reunited... that was what had led much of his research.

And the motivations that he'd left behind. Those he'd rather not think of, but he found himself pressing his hand against that door and he knew that opening it would put him down a destructive path that only few had seen before. Most of them dead and gone. He had an inkling that Snow knew, but Snow knew a lot more about him then most. And with that big dumb hero gone he wouldn't have to worry about confrontation. Noel would only figure out after it was too late. And no one else would ever-

"Director?" He jerked up and looked at Arcane with wide eyes, he'd been so deep in his own head that he hadn't heard her enter. "Thought we'd lost you there for a second. Go take a walk, clear your head."

He nodded at the order and thinly veiled mothering. He headed for the door and then looked back at Arcane and a few more of the camps leaders as they laid out maps for a meeting that was more about strategics and not really the part he was involved in. Nothing was simple in his life anymore and part of him missed that dearly. Outside Noel was walking the perimeter and checking the specs with the map from what he could see. Hope paused and though to walk to him but changed his mind and headed for the quiet space. No one was there luckily as he knew that many others used the space to catch time alone as well.

He sat down on the ground, pulled his knees up to his chest and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and thought back. He went so far back in his memory that he thought of his mother. Conjured the image of her standing before him, brave and beautiful. She would have been a good l'cie he thought. But, losing him would probably have wounded her too much he decided. He remembered when Sazh had spoken about what life would be like if he'd lost Dajh. His own wife already gone. Hope swallowed hard. What did he have left?

He had Noel, he knew that, but he also knew that keeping Noel was a tight wire act. The other could go back to his own time, disappear from existence, leave him for Yeul... All good possibilities. The problem with loving Noel, was that the hunter had ruined him. Before he was doing everything for the sake of bring back Lightning, Fang and Vanille and then Sazh and Dajh when they disappeared. Until everyone was gone and he was the only one left. And that's really the way it stood now. He was all that was left.

He sighed softly and stood up. He needed to continue his research. The only way to stop Caius was to figure out how to seal him or at least the heart. And then he would go from there.

* * *

Noel stood on the perimeter of the camp feeling rather useless. After the events yesterday he and Hope both had been taken off of today's exploration team. And he hated it. He wanted to be out there, working to achieve their goal. Downtime was really Noel's enemy. He couldn't keep himself occupied like Hope who had data to analyze and organize. Even sending communications back and forth with those working on the cocoon project was more useful then what he was doing now.

All Noel had was the time to think about the past... or the future considering the time period and feel the growing gaps in his memories. It wasn't an organic thing like when they changed Hope's memory the first time and everything was merely forgotten and changed. And it wasn't a fluttering, slow sensation like the mage's memory of Alyssa. No it was stark black spaces in his memories. Time never regained in other ways. He had forgotten quiet a few of the people in his village. And events that were important to Noel Kriess of the Farseer Tribe. He couldn't remember his first hunt, his father's name.

And more painful then most he could feel the darkness beginning to edge around his precious memories of his grandmother and the things she had taught him. The pain of the impending loss hurt him. He had wanted to talk with Hope about it, but couldn't find the words. He didn't want to see the look of worry that might cross Hope's face. After all, if he forgot about the future what was preventing him from forgetting about now? What was he really worth to the missions without the knowledge and experiences that made him who he was?

It made him antsy to complete the goal. Without his memories he wasn't sure what type of person that he would be. He knew that Caius habitually rejected memories... A mind, even one of an immortal wasn't vast enough to hold all the he knew that the other had seen and experienced. He wondered if that was the point. To make him like Caius and he vowed that he would never become like that. For the sake of Yeul.

* * *

"Tomorow we are going to set about for sector 5A." Hope spoke as he looked over the hologram map. "While it is not the city core. It will be an important space for us to reach. The city core is just beyond sector 9C which means we need to get closer. Our goal from there will be to try to find a place in 9C that we can use as our second base. Hopefully we can also find a means of leaving from there as well."

"What do you mean by leaving that way? Wouldn't retracing our steps be safer?"

"Probably not." Arcane spoke up as she stared at the map. "This place is a death trap for those of us without l'cie powers. The longer we spend the worse. Sector 9B is close to the surface. We can probably set up a ground charge... Blast our way out if need be. It would be easy to install a lift."

"That sounds dangerous." Noel cut in anxiously. He wasn't one for explosions and his face fully showed his distaste.

"What I'm worrying about." Hope interjected smoothly and mostly with caution in his voice. "Is that we will find things that don't want to be found in the City Core. Like I said, in the 5th Ark we exited over it. A giant crumbled ruin. But Arks are mostly unknown. Anything could be in there. A quick exit will be our best bet."

"And if it's a Fal'cie?" Lune asked a tall women with a childish face she looked around at the others. After all, it was on everyone's lips but no one wanted to say it.

"There should be no Fal'cie within here. Fal'cie usually stay away from the Arks just like everyone else. Until the time of battle comes. If one is here, we will not engage. Since it will be a Pulsian one, they probably will want nothing to do with us." Hope replied solemnly. There was no one here today that was more familiar with the creatures then him.

"Sounds about right." Boak replied calmly. He was a solider yes, but also knowledgable about research, useful for scientists working out in the field for long stretches of time.

Arcane glared Hope down, she knew that he was anxious. He wanted to sneak into the core, access the main computer and leave. She watched him as he continued to talk about their current plans that she'd already discussed with the heads of the camp before she interrupted him quite bluntly. "If a Fal'cie is here... Wouldn't that be the computer that controls it. Like with Orphan?"

Whatever Hope was going to say was lost in a gasp of astonishment. He knew that very few people knew that. In fact most people outside of the top brass of the Academia that had existed in the first few decades after the fall were the only people who knew or cared. He swallowed hard as he thought back to that wretched, awful creature. He's hands shaking slightly.

"If a Fal'cie were controlling the power here. This place wouldn't be a wreak Arcane. Fal'cie even the ones on Pulse are meticulous about the places they maintain if that is their purpose. Also, we would have encountered lesser Fal'cie by now that would be in control of minor functions. I know that in your history books it only alludes to the 'great' Fal'cie such as Eden, Orphan, Phoenix , Leviathan and Kujata... But they were the 'heads' of their units if you want to look at it that way. Especially Leviathan controlled hundreds if not thousands of Fal'cie that helped to provide clean water to Cocoon."

"That really does sound like a paradise until you realize that it was to create a mass sacrifice." Boak commented with a dower look.

"Unfortunately." Noel replied without thinking, his face grim. "Most gods require a sacrifice of some sort. From their 'maker' to Etro and even Pulse..."


	8. Chapter 7

It took them a week to reach the city core as well as set up base. Scouts were out right now, looking for alternative ways to get out after they were finished with the city core. Hope stood at the railing looking out. There were three ways down, a ramp, an old ladder and an elevator that still worked. The observation deck they were on observed the city from a distance. It was large. Not as large as Hope expected though. The city core of the 5th Ark had been vast and scary to be honest.

This looked more like the ruins of Paddra back from 10AF. Big enough to need a team, but not so large as to be an entire cityscape. It was obvious that unlike the 5th Ark, that people didn't live here permanently, but did something more like a work shift. What worried Hope though, was in the distance an ominous structure that looked like the Pulse Vestige that Anima had once hidden inside of. Vestiges were useful, they housed an amazing independent system that created power. It had proved useful when they first built Academia... Once they were sure that the remnants of Anima were really dead and gone.

He shook himself. Just because a vestige was here meant nothing. There were similar structures all over Pulse where civilizations once thrived. It was the 'gift' from the Fal'cie to humans to gain their favor without making l'cie if what Vanille had told him was true. Oerba use to have one as well, but it had long been destroyed in the War of Transgression. Anima had hid in the one that made it to Cocoon from what had been another village, hiding from the Cocoonian Fal'cie.

It was strange to Hope, that the Fal'cie would really war between each other if they had the same goal. Then again, they did go about their goals differently. He guessed that it was because the Pulsian Fal'cie didn't believe that their Maker would come back by creating a sacrifice. After all, they searched for the gate, they didn't try to make one.

A hand settled down over his disturbing his thought process and he looked up to see Noel staring out into the city core as well. The hunter said nothing as he stared at it blankly, he seemed a thousand miles away. Hope paused as he stared at him, taking in his partner's countenance. Noel's hair fluttered in the soft bursts of wind provided by the air cyclers. His eyes were narrowed as he looked out. His face was covered in small freckles, probably from living in a place without shade for so long.

The cycle finished and his hair lowered. Hope felt his own settle as he brought his other hand over to rest on top of Noel's. The hunter seemed as disturbed by the vestige as he was. He turned after a moment and looked to Hope with something rather odd in his face.

"Do you know what Fal'cie are?" He asked quietly and Hope shruggd.

"Gods maybe? Or demi gods I guess. After all, Pulse, Lindzei created them and they exist only to complete their focus.

"They are crystals." Noel turned to face him. "Crystals that can give and take form. And from that form their other powers manifest. The way to kill a Fal'cie is to destroy it's crystal. But it protects it zealously." Hope nodded, he knew all of this after all. He had theoretically wanted to build a Fal'cie at one point. He'd made it based on what he knew about Anima and had unfortunately created Adam. Or at least that was the way that Noel had told what he knew of the story.

"It was how we defeated those that we destroyed." Hope replied quietly. "Not just Barthandulus and Orphan. We also defeated Dahaka and Anima."

"That makes you the most powerful guy I know." Noel teased as he turned to face him. "But that still makes me nervous."

"Oh?"

"In the 400AF with a Fal'cie... It was stored in something like that."

"Ah... that would be my fault." Hope replied with a sad little smile. "When we decided to make the proto Fal'cie... It had to run on it's own power... It's own crystal so to speak. And at the time to me it made sense to use another old Pulse Vestige to house it. As you can tell all these things look the same."

"Not very inventive are they?" Noel asked as he looked at Hope's face a little smile tugging on his lips.

"A vestige is made for war. While a Fal'cie has it's own protective covering over it's crystal for it to interact with the world... it is not armor in any sense of the word. A vestige as I've leaned from my research... Allows Fal'cie to be housed, move into the fight and amplifies it's ability to find people." He swallowed hard as he looked away from Noel and clenched his hands tightly. "To make cieth."

"What's that's frightening." Noel replied with a shudder. "So... it's both a power source and a Fal'cie weapon. We should really be careful incase something is in it."

"It's doubtful." Hope replied as he turned back and moved closer to Noel. "We would have seen something by now. Anima had been inside the Pulse Vestige hiding from where Cocoonian forces had accidentally taken him on board. His vestige was originally just outside of Oerba. The villagers would go to him for the strength to become l'cie. To carry out his bidding and mostly their own."

"That makes no sense. I thought Fal'cie were for their maker."

"All Fal'cie have a Focus. Anima's was on the people... to help raise humans that could one day become Ragnorok and destroy Cocoon." He squeezed Noel's hand. "It's all very morbid really. The important thing, is that Fal'cie rely on their crystals. And it is very easy for them to make Cei'th... L'cie on the other hand... is much harder."

"Well that's reassuring to know."

"It takes strength... Strength of heart I think... to resist the compulsion to become a Cie'th during the compulsion that makes them. It would be hard to turn us into Cie'th... Our strength is different."

"That... makes no sense."

"Your heart... is strong in a way that a simple compulsion can't affect. Which is what the vestige would be doing right now if a Fal'cie was inside of it. Some members of our camp would have turned into Cie'th by now... Maybe not Arcane." The mage laughed softly and then tugged Noel even closer. "Enough about that... it's depressing."

Noel kissed his forehead and then his nose. "Says the one who researched it all."

"After I heard Serah yelling at me about the proto Fal'cie. I looked into it. I explored every inch of Anima's vestige and how it worked. I looked into all of what was in Eden Library and the secret library about any and all information I could find on Fal'cie... and what they could do. It's amazing what I found... Eden was a very knowledgable Fal'cie and in it's private recesses it held all the information that it knew. A secret library with nothing but information on Fal'cie. I never would have found it if you and Serah hadn't inspired me."

"I thought all we did was inspire you to not use Fal'cie power... Since it would make Cie'th... A world just like Cocoon." Noel turned back to look at the vestige. "That's what that reminds me of."

"I had to prove it Noel. Prove that Fal'cie can't be controlled by human hands. Because at first it was horrible. We didn't know how to do anything without Fal'cie tech. It was by luck that the people listened to us about using Pulsian tech to at least help to pump electricity into the parts of Cocoon that were still livable. The Pulse Vestige saved us all... Even after it damned the six of us."

"I hate it when you talk like that." Noel hissed as he squeezed Hope's hand. "As if you can't see how amazing the world has become in such a short time away from those toxic beasts."

Hope laughed lightly and he pulled Noel close kissing his cheek. "Even now... it's hard. To be accepting of what I once was. Come on, let's go get some food."

* * *

Arcane stood at the head of the afternoon excursion group. She looked them over, casting a long look over Hope that let the scientist know that she still hadn't really forgiven him for going down the hole after Noel. And it didn't matter, Hope would have done it a thousand times. Especially for someone he cared so deeply for. Sighing at the group of nine, the whole excursion team. The only ones left behind were base came minders.

"Alright." She ordered as she turned and looked out into the city core. "We are going to do this carefully hear me? I have point. Noel has center and Boak has rear. Everyone else, sort yourself accordingly. ETA should be 2 hours to get to the hive."

She made a harsh gesture and headed towards the ramp. Hope sighed lowly as he fell into step with Noel. It was a natural movement all on it's own. These kind of trips into violent territory weren't unusual to him. But to traverse in something that they weren't really sure what they were looking for really took him back to his L'cie days. Even if the cast was a little different.

After the first day, he noticed that everyone had relaxed a bit more. There was nothing here. It was eerie to see the empty corroded buildings up close. No building was taller then about 5 stories. And the 'city' itself was like one lonely husk. It reminded Hope of the excursion he'd went on into Paluploum after he'd arrived to this time period. His hometown, empty now and terrifying looking.

"Seems like there's nothing here boss in the way of the living." Ardent spoke as he looked around. "No monsters, no weapons..."

"And there shouldn't be. The city core was not for the weapons." Arcane bit back harshly and then she softened a bit. "It reminds me of the barracks... only abandoned."

Ardent swallowed at that thought, remembering that this place was once made to inhabit the people that created, and probably tested these weapons. Long dead, after being used to create an army for whatever Fal'cie had commanded them.

"Isn't that what we're looking for?" Boak called out from the bad, distracting everyone from their somber thoughts. Down a ways, on the diagonal was a building about four stories high. It was leaning dangerously to the side but it had a fountain in front of it and empty stone flower beds filled with weeds and other parasitic plant life that could survive the low amounts of water that could have made it to such a place.

Hope looked down at is datapad and nodded to himself. "That's the building according to the map."

"Good." Ardent replied as some of the other troops grumbled in the background. They entered the building and Arcane ordered them to fan out. Looking for the central computer that would house the information they were looking for.

They found nothing. Once they regrouped on the outside, Hope took a deep breath and then sighed softly and closed his eyes. "I must have miscalculated. It is most likely then in the vestige."

"You mean that?" Arcane asked as she thumbed over her shoulder in the direction of the giant structure. "Isn't that dangerous. I feel like we should avoid that shit."

"I miscalculated. I thought that the computer would be housed in the human's base of operations. But instead, this is a warship right?" Hope waved his hand about. "When this thing takes on it's true role, a Fal'cie will come and assume command inside that. And it will need access to all the information about how to operate it and where it's 'troops' are so that it can deploy them."

"So then the information you are looking for is in there." Noel grumbled and Hope sighed. "I think so."

"Well, we aren't going there today. Let's head back." Arcane ordered sternly.

* * *

"You seem tense." Noel murmured as he collapsed by side Hope inside their tent. "Is it about tomorrow?"

"I don't want to go in there." He admitted. "Going inside vestiges... It makes me nervous."

"Then tell me what you need. I can store the information in the decoder." Noel stated as he reached for Hope and pushed his hair our of his eyes. "You don't need anymore undue stress."

"I have to go." Hope admitted quietly. "Who knows what shape the computers in that thing are in... And I'm the only one that can make it 'talk' so that we can get the information. I just... Noel?" Hope watched as the hunter moved.

Noel moved behind the smaller man and pulled him back into his arms. Hope sighed evenly as he laid his head against Noel's chest. He could hear the brunette's heartbeat and he closed his eyes. Noel wrapped his arms around him as he laid back against the tent pole. Hope wanted to finish what he was saying but he found himself loosing the will to speak as he continued to lay cradled in his lover's arms.

"Tomorrow." Noel spoke after a moment, his voice soft and tender. "We'll find whatever it is that you're looking for. But you're hiding something from me."

The mage's eyes opened wide. He stared out and into the semi darkness that the tent afforded them to make a pseudo nighttime. He tried to pull away but stopped, Noel showed no signs of letting him go. He slumped back down and closed his eyes.

"I'm not hiding anything from you... I just haven't... told you everything."

"Then what is everything." It was even and calm, a bit more like Noel and Hope felt nervous. He didn't want to talk about that, and he had hoped that he could work out his plans without disturbing Noel.

"I know you're forgetting." He finally whispered. "I know you think it's because you think we're changing things inside your past... I think it's because of Caius."

The grip on him tightened. "And why would you think that?"

This time Hope was insistent about pulling away, he could cuddle with Noel later and in a much better places. When he spoke again, he spoke softly, afraid that someone, anyone might over hear.

"You are meant to replace Caius... Or die trying... I don't care to know which one. If you replace him, the only way to make you a guardian that won't go insane...Is one that forgets. Forgets things that attaches him to the world. To people. I've noticed that you talk less and less about your village but more and more about the history or technology that you remember from the lessons Caius gave you. He changed you Noel... Whether you know it or not. He changed you and the closer you become to whatever the hell he is... The closer you become to losing Noel. And I don't want that."

The other swallowed hard and turned away. What Hope was saying was something that had crossed his mind many times. The odd way in which his memories faded and the dark gaps that took their place. It made him feel like he was going insane but it was obvious that while he'd been hiding from it, Hope had been searching for a solution.

"And what do you hope to find here?" He asked uietly.

"Yeul... has always existed. It would make sense that the Fal'cie would have sought her out to look for places in the Timeline that are good for trying to execute their plans. This ship... not unlike the 5th Ark is meant for the other war... A war that is beyond our understanding."

"And you think that Caius has been here before?"

"I think that some of the technology on how to create Oracle Drives... If I know how to make it... I think I can use it to change what's happening to your memories." He stated quietly.

"What does that even mean?"

"I'm not really sure I know." Hope admitted quietly. "But I know that Orcale Drives store memories and in some way they must be programed to Yeul to store her memories. And I think that Caius is using that technology to store your memories and sort them? So that you can recall certain ones but not others. I want to make it so that he can't..."

A quiet settled between them and they looked at each other quietly. Noel swallowed hard. He had thought that no one had realized all that was happening to him. After all, you change the past you change the future so why would it seem weird for him to lose things? And yet, Hope had put a lot of thought into it and into him. He felt absurdly touched and wanted to show the other.

He grasped Hope's hand and squeezed tightly. He wasn't sure of what he wanted to say or wanted to do. He didn't want to feel vulnerable in this place. And so he locked it down as best he could and looked to the daunting structure in the distance. Tomorrow they were going to into the Vestige.

* * *

"You know, it would probably be easier to do this if we just knocked down a few buildings with magic." Capers commented as he looked around the deaden cityscape. "This place gives me the damn shivers."

"Bad idea." Asher responded as he skirted around part of a fallen building. "Most of the shit here isn't actually bound to it's area. Who know's what a massive explosion would call to is. I have a desire to go home to my family yo know?"

There was a round of laughter. But it was uneasy due to the amount of truth in those words. Other then the incident with the shield lizard everything had been going pretty well, if you didn't mind the lack of information gathered. There seemed to be nearly nothing here from the places they'd looked. Nothing on the plans of how the Ark was built and certainly none of the secret information that Hope wanted.

At last they approached the doors leading in to the Vestige, it sent eerie shivers down Hope's spine as the headed up to the doors. A shrine to Fal'cie. Their battle armor against the one who exists beyond. He already hated this place, but he had gone plenty of places he hated before. He couldn't stray from the goal.

"All right, we have to be careful in here. From what we know of Vestige they have their own quirks of battle ready ready equipment. Most of it probably the same as what was in the Ark. Is there anything else we should be aware of?"

"There may or may not be cie'th. After all, we do no know what happened to the people of this village and cie'th are near immortal as far as we know."

"Thanks for that comforting thought." Noel grouched as he let the advance team open the doors.

"Well the thing is... Is we don't know everything about Fal'cie... They aren't exactly forthcoming about removing the part of themselves that make them mystics. All we know..."

"Is that they have a range in which they can send a compulsion to make cei'th but we aren't sure what the maximum distance is to make l'cie." Arcane replied with a grim face. "But according to you cei'th don't die right Estheim?"

"Right." Hope responded grimly. "When I first came to Pulse... All that were here were animals, the occasional cie'th and the last wishes of dying l'cie... Those who hadn't accomplished their focus."

Noel swallowed hard at that. He had met one such monster when he had traveled with Serah. The first few levels were empty. They seemed much more lifeless to the hunter then the city core had. He stepped a bit closer to Hope. He found his mind focusing on the idea of there not being a Fal'cie, but the more he thought about it. The more sure he was.

"Hey Hope... You said that there are literally thousands of Fal'cie right?" He asked quietly although his voice echoed through the small hallway as they walked.

"More like millions. The amount of power each one has varies but no one really knows. The power to make l'cie supposedly come from their gods... Pulse and Lindzei respectively since the l'cie would display very different brands." Hope looked back at him and noticed the worry in his eyes. "Why, what are you thinking?" He asked as he signaled the other to stop.

"Have you ever encountered a Fal'cie who's focus was to fight?" Noel asked and he watched as Hope paled.

"No... they were all to search for the door, or to find a way to bring back their maker." Hope looked forward into the corridor. He approached Noel and cupped his face. "What do you remember? What's in there?"

His voice was so soft now that the others couldn't hear actual words. Arcane frowned and signaled everyone to stop and take a rest. Everyone was too keyeed up and simply held onto their weapons. Looking around nervously as the waited for the next order. Noel closed his eyes and dug into the memory of information that was building in his mind. He swallowed hard, his voice barely audible.

"There's a Fal'cie here." He opened his eyes and looked at Hope with wide despair darkened eyes as he looked piercingly into Hope's. "It's asleep I think."

"Asleep?" Hope asked, his own eyes darting across Hope's face trying to understand what he meant by a sleeping Fal'cie. How could one be sleeping considering the must follow their focus.

"In the history that I know... A Fal'cie sleeps in one of the Arks... waiting to make the soldiers for the battles beyond."

"Then we should retreat." Hope turned from Noel abruptly. "We're are heading back to base. It's not safe here."

"What?" Arcane stood up. "Why?"

"There is a Fal'cie sleeping here. One meant to fight. We can't risk disturbing it." He was about to head back when an explosion rocked the building.

Hope crashed into Noel and the two hit the floor hard. Noel wrapped an arm around the other, his other arm casting his swords out of the way but still in reach. Everyone else tumbled as well. The group looked around at each other.

"That wasn't from inside." Arcane hissed as she stood. "What felled us was a recoil. Asher radio back."

Hope stared at Noel with wide eyes and then pushed off the hunter to sit up. "I need a computer terminal. Come on!" He stood up and pulled Noel. Arcane screamed at him as he and the hunter dashed the few feet back to the panel they ignored. Bypassing secrecy Hope pressed his hands against the computer and pushed for answers.

"What's he doing?" Boak asked as she stood between the two groups her hands ready to cast magic.

"Talking to the machines. Just wait a minute." Noel replied and as the woman gave him a look of confusion.

They all waited patiently, quietly listening for what would happen next. Asher put down the communicator and shook his head. If anyone was alive and it was unlikely at this point, they couldn't get near a communicator. Hope released his hands from the computer and let his hands fly on the keyboard. He slammed his hands on the grid and turned to face the other.

"They type of Fal'cie here is called a Shield Fal'cie... It can... Fight and it's crystal is deeply embedded in it's armor. I know we aren't the type of force you might think we need for this. But we have to stop it."

"Hope... I think this is a little beyond us." Arcane replied.

"The amplifier on this vessel could hit Academia and turn at the very least a 1/4 of the people into cei'th. We have to stop it." He looked at Noel and then nodded to the others. "I don't really think we have a choice."

Arcane looked around grimly at the others and nodded. "Here's the plan. The cieth has to be in the central core. We're close. We can get there relatively quickly. Since it attacked the base and we haven't heard a second explosion that means it doesn't know about our transport above. Furthermore this place is kept afloat by a graviton core. We'll stop the Fal'cie, which may or may not kill it's power souce. It'll leave the Ark dead in the sky... but it'll still remain afloat. Agreed?"

Noel looked at the others all varying degrees of terrified and thought of the ProtoFal'cie Adam. He grabbed Hope's hand and squeezed it tightly. "There's nothing else we can do. In a few minutes it will seek to make Fal'cie... Some of us might fall."

"Noted." Arcane replied grimly. "Move out."


End file.
